Taiwanese Labor Minister Hong Sun-han is expected to arrive in Nanjing on Sunday to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting scheduled for September 21. The visit is drawing particular attention as he will be the first minister from President Lai Chin-te's administration to travel to mainland China.
The Nanjing forum is dedicated to human resource development. The Chinese hosts have identified three main themes – promoting quality employment, investing in skills and more sustainable social protection systems. The impact of artificial intelligence and technological change on the labor market is also expected to be discussed.
The visit comes amid ongoing political tensions between Beijing and Taipei. Hong said before the trip that Taiwan would adhere to the principles of "equal participation and mutual dignity" within the APEC. Taiwan has participated in the organization since 1991 under the name "Chinese Taipei".
On the Chinese side, the position is different. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council said that the participation of Taiwanese representatives would be regulated in accordance with the "one China" principle, existing memoranda and APEC practice. Taipei rejects the idea that its membership in the organization is subject to this principle and insists that it is a full member of the forum.
Additional attention has also been drawn to the issue of the documents with which Hong will enter China. According to information from the Taipei Times, the Taiwanese side has received assurances that he can use the official invitation for the meeting. However, sources in Taipei suggest that the Chinese authorities could administratively issue him a so-called permit for Taiwanese compatriots - a document that Beijing uses for Taiwanese citizens, since it does not recognize Taiwanese passports as international documents for travel to mainland China. The Chinese authorities have not given a specific public response on this issue.
The Taiwanese authorities have also assessed the risks associated with the visit. The Mainland Affairs Council in Taipei said the risk was "manageable," citing the fact that other Taiwanese representatives had already participated in APEC meetings in China without incident this year.