Taiwan Labor Minister Hung Sun-han traveled to Nanjing, China, on Sept. 20 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting, becoming the first cabinet-level official from President Lai Ching-te’s administration to visit China.
The official APEC meeting notice states that the eighth Human Resources Development Ministerial Meeting was held in Nanjing on Sept. 21, with ministers discussing employment, vocational training, social security and the impact of artificial intelligence on labor markets.
Hung’s visit drew attention because of the lack of formal dialogue between Taipei and Beijing and because of his status as the highest-ranking Taiwanese official to attend an APEC event in China this year. The South China Morning Post reported ahead of the visit that analysts cautioned against interpreting the trip as a thaw in cross-Strait relations or a resumption of official exchanges.
Special clearance at Nanjing airport
Hung arrived at Nanjing Lukou International Airport shortly before 8 p.m. on Sept. 20. According to Taiwan’s Liberty Times report on his arrival, APEC personnel met the delegation at the airport and escorted it through a VIP channel. Taiwanese reporters waiting at the “Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan arrivals” exit therefore missed Hung’s arrival.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) separately reported Hung’s arrival in Nanjing at 7:57 p.m., confirming that he was the first minister from the Lai administration to travel to China.
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An official familiar with cross-Strait affairs told Liberty Times that Hung was traveling specifically to attend the APEC meeting and that the visit would follow established APEC procedures. The official said Taiwan would respond if Hung encountered problems.
“If Hung Sun-han is subjected to pressure or mistreatment, we will protest to the CCP,” the official said, according to the report. “For now, the situation appears relatively straightforward.”
The official also said that attending an APEC meeting was comparatively low-risk among official trips to China because the host is expected to facilitate the entry and participation of member economies.
“Among all possible reasons for traveling to mainland China, attending an APEC meeting actually carries the least risk,” the official said.
Hung stresses equal participation in APEC
Before departing, Hung emphasized that Taiwan’s participation was based on its membership in APEC rather than on bilateral cross-Strait exchanges.
In a Sept. 15 interview reported by the CNA, Hung said APEC was an important multilateral economic forum and that Taiwan had long approached it on a professional basis.
“We are a formal member of APEC,” Hung said, adding that “equal participation” and “reciprocal dignity” were the central principles guiding Taiwan’s involvement.
Hung said Taiwan would participate according to APEC rules without imposing restrictions on itself and would exchange experience with other member economies, including on human resources and the effects of AI on employment.
After returning to Taiwan on Sept. 22, Hung said those principles had been upheld during the meeting. According to CNA’s report on his return, he said Taiwan had received the same meeting-related rights as other APEC members.
“We are a formal, full member of APEC,” Hung said. He added that the host had made arrangements “in accordance with APEC rules” and that Taiwan’s demand for equal dignity had been respected.
The meeting concluded with an official APEC joint statement addressing employment, vocational training, social security and the effects of AI and demographic change on labor markets.
DPP lawmaker: International participation, not cross-Strait exchange
Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Chung Chia-pin said Hung’s visit should be viewed as participation in an international organization rather than as a bilateral exchange with Beijing.
Speaking on Sept. 21, Chung said Taiwan’s participation in APEC was long-established and that this year’s meeting happened to be hosted by China. According to Newtalk’s report of his remarks, Chung said, “This is international participation,” not cross-Strait exchange.
He also dismissed the significance attached to Hung’s use of a VIP channel at the airport, saying that China, as the host economy, was following customary procedures for officials attending a ministerial meeting.
“There is no need to make a fuss about it,” Chung said.
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