Taiwan’s Presidential Office said Nov. 11 that Acer co-founder Stan Shih had been asked to attend the Shenzhen APEC leaders’ meeting on President Lai Ching-te’s behalf, amid a dispute between Taipei and Beijing over participation terms.
The Presidential Office announced the request Nov. 11. It pointed to Shih’s experience in international exchanges, contributions to Taiwan’s technology industry and work on brand development. Spokeswoman Karen Kuo also cited his familiarity with artificial intelligence, the digital economy and technology innovation. Shih represented Taiwan at the 2007 APEC leaders’ meeting in Sydney.
The appointment comes amid a dispute over the rules for Taiwan’s participation. Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has urged China, the meeting’s host, to honor its commitments and ensure the delegation can participate with equality, dignity and safety.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office says Taiwan’s APEC participation is governed by the one-China principle, the forum’s memorandum and its established practices. It says Taiwan can attend under those terms. Taiwan’s Presidential Office says equal participation is standard APEC practice and is unrelated to the one-China principle.
APEC lists Chinese Taipei as a member economy that joined in 1991. The forum has 21 member economies, according to APEC. The APEC Secretariat expects artificial intelligence to feature prominently during leaders’ week.
APEC’s schedule lists the leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, China, for Nov. 18-19.
