Taiwan is a full APEC member economy, admitted on equal-participation terms

Background

Taiwan has had to press for equal treatment at this year's APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting, hosted by China in Shenzhen, so the terms of its membership are worth setting out. Taiwan became a full member of APEC in 1991. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the memorandum under which it acceded made no mention of a one China principle and instead recorded that Taiwan would take part in APEC meetings and activities on an equal basis with other members. The ministry's Department of International Organizations issued a statement urging the host to respect the equal participation of every member economy. It asked China to take concrete steps so that Taiwan can take part in the leaders' meeting with equal and dignified standing, and to honour the written assurance it gave in 2024 on the safety of participants and on smooth entry and exit. It also said the host must stick to decisions taken by consensus of all the members. APEC works by consensus and calls its participants member economies rather than member states.