The 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) annual summit concluded at noon on November 16 in Lima, Peru. Taiwan’s APEC envoy Lin Hsin-i (林信義) held an international press conference in Lima that afternoon.
When asked how he felt Taiwan’s global influence had changed since he first participated in APEC in 2000, Lin highlighted Taiwan’s role in the global supply chain, especially in semiconductors and other advanced technologies. He noted that the degree to which Taiwan is valued by the international community is different than it was two decades ago, and that the focus has shifted from economic prosperity to economic security.
Regarding China’s continued attempts to suppress Taiwan’s international participation, Lin recalled that he participated in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Doha Development Round in 2001. He pointed out that Taiwan was the 15th largest economy in the world at the time, and with the support of Japan, the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, it was able to join the WTO smoothly. Lin said that the most important thing going forward is that Taiwan must demonstrate the kind of strength that will make the international community feel that it should be allowed to participate.
Taiwanese presidents have been unable to attend the leaders’ summits at APEC due to pressure from China. Peru also refused to send a summit invitation to Taiwan’s first envoy pick, former vice president Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), and President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) administration was forced to quickly find an alternative.
Both Taipei and Beijing applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2021, but according to foreign media reports, China asked Peru to suspend the approval of Taiwan’s accession.