Support extended by the U.S. and Italy is sincerely appreciated by the government and people of Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Nov. 7.
The MOFA’s response followed a public refutation by the U.S. Department of State and Republican members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee of statements by China setting political conditions for Taiwan’s involvement in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings and a resolution unanimously passed by the Regional Council of Lombardy in northern Italy in support of Taiwan’s full participation in international organizations and urging action to alleviate Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation.
According to the MOFA, the Department of State said the U.S. insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies, including Taiwan, in line with APEC rules and established practices. The Foreign Affairs Committee stated on its official X account that China has raised the bar for Taiwan’s participation in 2026 APEC events despite a prior promise to allow equal involvement, adding that the move shows Beijing’s coercive and reckless behavior.
In response, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung emphasized that Taiwan is a full APEC member and enjoys the same rights as other member economies. He added that China’s unilateral imposition of political conditions on Taiwan’s attendance not only violates APEC conventions but also undermines its own commitments made during the 2024 APEC meeting in Lima.
Lin stressed that Taiwan categorically rejects China’s malicious intentions in seeking to exclude Taiwan from participating in APEC next year. Taiwan will coordinate with like-minded countries to jointly defend the core principle of equal status for all APEC members, he said.
The minister further thanked the government of Lombardy and pledged to deepen cooperation with the region while encouraging local Italian governments to continue backing Taiwan. According to the MOFA, the resolution echoed one greenlit by the Italian Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Affairs Committee that urges Taiwan’s meaningful participation in U.N. specialized agencies, including Interpol, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the World Health Organization. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
The MOFA’s response followed a public refutation by the U.S. Department of State and Republican members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee of statements by China setting political conditions for Taiwan’s involvement in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings and a resolution unanimously passed by the Regional Council of Lombardy in northern Italy in support of Taiwan’s full participation in international organizations and urging action to alleviate Taiwan’s diplomatic isolation.
According to the MOFA, the Department of State said the U.S. insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies, including Taiwan, in line with APEC rules and established practices. The Foreign Affairs Committee stated on its official X account that China has raised the bar for Taiwan’s participation in 2026 APEC events despite a prior promise to allow equal involvement, adding that the move shows Beijing’s coercive and reckless behavior.
In response, Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung emphasized that Taiwan is a full APEC member and enjoys the same rights as other member economies. He added that China’s unilateral imposition of political conditions on Taiwan’s attendance not only violates APEC conventions but also undermines its own commitments made during the 2024 APEC meeting in Lima.
Lin stressed that Taiwan categorically rejects China’s malicious intentions in seeking to exclude Taiwan from participating in APEC next year. Taiwan will coordinate with like-minded countries to jointly defend the core principle of equal status for all APEC members, he said.
The minister further thanked the government of Lombardy and pledged to deepen cooperation with the region while encouraging local Italian governments to continue backing Taiwan. According to the MOFA, the resolution echoed one greenlit by the Italian Chamber of Deputies’ Foreign Affairs Committee that urges Taiwan’s meaningful participation in U.N. specialized agencies, including Interpol, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change and the World Health Organization. (YCH-E)
Write to Taiwan Today at ttonline@mofa.gov.tw
from Taiwan Today – Top News