President Ma Ying-jeou says that Taiwan could participate in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) under the name “Chinese Taipei”. Ma was speaking during a gathering of Taiwanese businessmen based throughout Asia on Thursday.
Ma said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had responded positively upon learning of Taiwan’s intention to join the AIIB at the Boao Forum for Asia in March. The AIIB is a China-led multilateral fund.
Ma told the gathering of businessmen that joining the AIIB is in line with Taiwan’s goals of becoming a provider of humanitarian aid and of playing a constructive role in the region.
The president said that Taiwan’s unique political situation means that there is always the sensitive question of what name it will use when it joins any international organization. He said that Taiwan has used the name “Chinese Taipei” when acceding to organizations such as the APEC or the WTO in the past. He said that the name “Chinese Taipei” would also prove acceptable to all parties if Taiwan joins the AIIB.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s top China policymaker, said that the Ministry of Finance will discuss the issue of what name Taiwan will use in the AIIB. The spokesperson said that the Mainland Affairs Council will play a supporting role in the discussions.
Taiwan generally uses the name “Chinese Taipei” in international organizations because of pressure from China, which sees Taiwan as part of its territory even though the two sides have been ruled separately for over sixty years.