Taiwan has accused China of undermining its equal status within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum ahead of the upcoming summit in Shenzhen. The dispute centres on a message sent by Beijing regarding Taiwan’s participation, which reportedly did not amount to a formal invitation and omitted the name ‘Chinese Taipei’, under which the island takes part in the organisation.

Beijing: Tensions between China and Taiwan have resurfaced ahead of the APEC summit, with Taipei accusing Beijing of departing from established protocols governing its participation in the regional forum.

According to The Taipei Times, China sent a message concerning Taiwan’s participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen. However, Taiwanese officials said the communication was not a formal invitation and did not refer to Taiwan by its recognised APEC designation, ‘Chinese Taipei’.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had lodged a strong protest with Beijing, reiterating that Taiwan is a full and equal member of APEC. The ministry also stressed that Taipei would defend its rights within the organisation and continue preparations to attend the summit in line with established practices.

The latest disagreement comes against the backdrop of previous disputes over Taiwan’s representation at APEC meetings. In 2001, China reportedly informed Taiwan of the summit through an unsigned fax and refused to accept its representative. Taiwan subsequently boycotted the event in protest.

The approach was different in 2014, when China reportedly arranged for an invitation to be delivered personally to a senior Taiwanese official.

China considers Taiwan part of its territory, while Taiwan operates under its own political system and administration. The competing positions over Taiwan’s status have remained a longstanding source of tension between Beijing and Taipei, with representation in international organisations continuing to be a sensitive issue.