Taiwan's APEC representative says no handshake or dialogue with China's Xi, only wave

LIMA - Mr Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan's representative at an Asia-Pacific summit in Lima, said on Nov 16 that he greeted China's President Xi Jinping with a wave, but there was no handshake or conversation, a sign of the tensions between Taipei and Beijing.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is one of the few international meetings both Taiwan and China take part in, and where officials from the two sides can interact, even if just to exchange pleasantries, though Taiwan does not send its president, given China's objections.

Beijing views the island as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Lin, chairman of government-backed investment fund Taiwania Capital and also a former economy minister, said that while Taiwan had bilateral talks with many APEC members, with Mr Xi there was just a greeting gesture across the room where leaders were gathered.

"The motion of a greeting has no details..." he said, adding that there was no handshake with the Chinese leader when asked.

The lack of interaction with Mr Xi contrasts with the meeting Mr Lin had with US President Joe Biden the previous day, which the Taiwanese delegation described as a "lively" exchange of views.

The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, though Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing.

In 2023, Taiwan representative Morris Chang, founder of chip giant TSMC, also spoke with Mr Biden but not Mr Xi.

But in 2022, then 91-year-old Chang had a "very pleasant" and "polite" interaction with Mr Xi at an APEC summit in Bangkok, where Mr Xi asked about Mr Chang's health and Mr Chang congratulated Mr Xi on the success of the Chinese Communist Party's 20th Congress.

APEC 2026

As Taiwan struggles with Beijing’s strategy to make the island’s remaining diplomatic allies to cut ties in favour of Beijing, China’s push to host the forum in 2026, announced by Mr Xi earlier on Nov 16, has worried the island’s government.

At Mr Lin’s press conference on Nov 16, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan’s National Security Council Hsu Szu-chien said that there were “all kinds of misgivings and concerns” among Taiwan and other APEC members about Beijing hosting the forum.

Mr Hsu said one concern were new Chinese legal guidelines published in June that impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists.

While Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the island, he said that Taiwan had expressed worries the guidelines would be used against not only Taiwanese officials in China, but those from other APEC members as well.

“Other APEC members have similar concerns so the fact that a consensus was reached (on China hosting the forum) means Beijing has made promises in response to all members’ relevant concerns,” he said. REUTERS