Taiwan Dismisses China’s Anger Over Japan Meeting at APEC Summit

Post by : Saif Nasser

Taiwan has rejected China’s protest against a meeting between its representative and Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held last weekend in South Korea.

The meeting between Taiwan’s envoy Lin Hsin-i and Japan’s Prime Minister caused a sharp reaction from Beijing. China filed a strong protest with Japan, saying that the meeting crossed diplomatic lines because Beijing considers Taiwan a part of its territory. But Taiwan defended the meeting, calling it “normal and routine.”

Lin Hsin-i, who serves as a senior adviser to Taiwan’s Presidential Office, told reporters in Taipei on Monday that APEC is a forum where all participants take part equally, regardless of their political status. “There’s nothing strange about it. There were a lot of these kinds of interactions,” Lin said. “We talked to many leaders and representatives. It’s a very normal thing.”

The controversy began when Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted about her meeting with Lin on social media, referring to him by his official title. This angered China, which sees any official contact between Taiwan and other governments as interference in its internal affairs.

Japan, like most countries, does not officially recognize Taiwan as a separate nation. However, it maintains a strong unofficial relationship and often expresses support for Taiwan’s democracy. Prime Minister Takaichi has been known for her firm stance on regional security. Before taking office, she said that any attack or crisis involving Taiwan would also threaten Japan and its ally, the United States.

During the APEC summit, Takaichi also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Both leaders agreed to work on building “constructive and stable” ties between their countries despite ongoing tensions.

APEC remains one of the few international gatherings where Taiwan is allowed to participate, though its presidents are not permitted to attend. Instead, the island sends senior advisers or former ministers as its representatives.

While China continues to pressure nations to avoid official contact with Taiwan, the island uses such platforms to strengthen its international presence. Lin said that Taiwan’s representatives had multiple discussions with officials from other APEC economies, including those from the United States.

At the same event, Taiwan’s Science Minister Wu Cheng-wen spoke about his discussions with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other American officials. Their talks focused on cooperation in the semiconductor industry — a field where Taiwan plays a leading global role.

Wu said that Taiwan is helping the United States develop its chip manufacturing capacity. “This is Taiwan’s unique, proprietary model. With the support of the U.S. government, we hope to rapidly expand this model in the United States,” he explained.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest chip producer, is already investing about $165 billion in building semiconductor plants in the United States. These efforts are part of a broader plan to strengthen the U.S. supply chain for advanced technology.

However, some trade issues remain unresolved. Taiwan is still negotiating with Washington over the 20% tariff that the U.S. has imposed on its exports. Taiwanese officials hope the ongoing talks will lead to fairer trade conditions between the two partners.

China, meanwhile, continues to oppose Taiwan’s international engagement and says that any attempt to present the island as an independent political entity goes against the “One China” principle. Beijing has also increased military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan, sending aircraft and ships near its borders almost daily.

Despite these tensions, Taiwan remains firm in defending its democratic system and global participation. Its government says that maintaining international communication, like those held during APEC, is essential for peace and stability in the region.

As the APEC summit concludes, the episode highlights once again how Taiwan’s presence on the world stage continues to test China’s patience and the balance of diplomacy across Asia.