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US lawmakers push for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to attend Apec summit despite objections from Beijing
- In letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, House Republicans say excluding Taiwan from full participation in event ‘sends the wrong message’
- The island, which joined the regional economic forum in 1991, typically only sends business leaders and retired officials to annual meeting
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Lawrence Chungin Taipei
American lawmakers and Taipei are pushing for Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen to attend this year’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit despite objections from Beijing.
In a letter sent to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday, 21 House Republicans urged the State Department to invite Tsai to this year’s summit, expected to be held in San Francisco on November 12.
Taiwan, which joined Apec in 1991 under the name “Chinese Taipei”, has not been able to send its leader to the annual summit because of objections from Beijing, which sees the island as a part of its territory with no right to attend events organised by global bodies that require statehood for participation.
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The island can only send business leaders and retired senior officials to represent its president at events.
“Given Taiwan’s important economic, cultural, and technological contributions to the region, we believe … Tsai deserves our full respect as much as Taiwan deserves fair and equal treatment on par with those of other recognition and standing in Apec member states,” said the letter sent to Blinken.
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