The United States has called on China to ensure Taiwan’s full and equal participation in next year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, after Taipei accused Beijing of imposing restrictive conditions on its attendance.
In a statement on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department said that all APEC members must be allowed to participate “on an equal footing” when China hosts the forum in Shenzhen in November 2026.
“The United States insists on the full and equal participation of all APEC member economies, including Taiwan, referred to as Chinese Taipei in APEC, consistent with APEC’s guidelines, rules, and established practice,” a State Department spokesperson said.
The U.S. reaffirmed that last year, APEC members agreed by consensus to allow China to host the 2026 summit, based on the understanding that participation would follow existing norms and equal access for all members.
“Our highest priority is the safety and security of U.S. citizens, and we will continue to press China for security arrangements and protocols that safeguard all participants,” the spokesperson added.
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The comments came after Taiwan’s government said Beijing had “added a lot of conditions” to its planned participation in APEC meetings next year, raising concerns that China is attempting to limit the island’s role.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that Taiwan’s participation in APEC must comply with the “one China” principle, which Beijing interprets as meaning both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one country. “China will fulfill its duty as APEC host,” Mao said, while emphasizing that Taiwan’s involvement must respect the one-China framework.
Taiwan’s democratically elected government rejects Beijing’s claims and maintains that China has no right to represent or speak for the island in international organizations.
Taiwan takes part in APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei”, and traditionally sends a senior representative rather than its president to avoid political friction with China.
The 2026 APEC summit will take place amid some of the worst tensions in years between Taipei and Beijing, as China intensifies its military pressure campaign around the island through near-daily incursions and naval exercises.
No APEC member has formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but the island remains a self-governing democracy and a major economic player in the region.
Relations between China and Taiwan were significantly warmer in 2014, the last time China hosted an APEC summit, under then-President Ma Ying-jeou, who pursued landmark trade and tourism agreements with Beijing.
However, in 2001, Taiwan boycotted the APEC summit in China after a dispute over who could represent it, a reflection of the long-running sensitivities surrounding its participation in international events.