Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

On November 11, Presidential Office Spokesperson Karen Kuo (郭雅慧) announced that President Lai Ching-te has invited Acer Group Founder and Honorary Chairman Stan Shih (施振榮) to act as his representative at the 2026 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM), which will be held in Shenzhen, China, from November 18 to 19, 2026.

Spokesperson Kuo pointed out that in accordance with the memorandum of understanding of accession signed in 1991, Taiwan, as a full member economy of APEC, has continued to participate in all APEC meetings and activities on an equal basis. She stressed that this is standard APEC practice and that it has nothing to do with the so-called "one China principle."

Spokesperson Kuo noted that Honorary Chairman Shih previously attended the AELM as our leader's representative in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 and that he has extensive experience in international exchanges. A key figure in Taiwan's technology industry and in building Taiwanese brands internationally, she said, he successfully brought Taiwan's own brands to the global market and has made outstanding contributions to advancing the development and international competitiveness of Taiwan's information technology industry. She added that Honorary Chairman Shih has long kept his finger on the pulse of global technology trends and that he has a deep understanding of issues that APEC has focused on in recent years, including AI, the digital economy, and technological innovation.

Spokesperson Kuo said that President Lai hopes to draw on Honorary Chairman Shih's international perspective and industry expertise as he leads a delegation to actively participate in the meeting, completes the mission assigned to him by the president, and enables Taiwan's perspectives and experience to contribute to global economic and trade development. She said that the president therefore decided to invite Honorary Chairman Shih to attend the 2026 AELM as our leader's representative.

In closing, Spokesperson Kuo emphasized that Taiwan has long participated in APEC and has made concrete contributions to economic and trade development in the Asia-Pacific. Given that APEC member economies have on numerous occasions reached a consensus on all members participating on an equal footing, she said, Taiwan hopes that China will fulfill its responsibilities as the host economy and honor its written assurances, and ensure that Taiwan's delegation can participate in all meetings in an equal, dignified, and safe manner.