--- title: "Taiwan to attend China APEC summit on 'equal basis,' says President Lai" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai" category: "Politics" area: "China" published: "2026-11-13T09:46:06.123Z" source_reported: "2026-11-13T09:25:00.000Z" updated: "2026-11-13T09:46:06.123Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-11-14T03:00:31.995765+00:00" --- # Taiwan to attend China APEC summit on 'equal basis,' says President Lai *President Lai Ching-te stated Taiwan's participation in the upcoming summit in China will be on the principle of equal interaction.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named body, with specific date and location, and two independent outlets. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Quotes or right of reply given to affected parties, facts kept separate from comment, and clear writing. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. Language is measured and proportionate, with no notable sensationalism or loaded adjectives. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Taiwan will attend the APEC leaders' summit in China on the principle of equal interaction, according to President Lai Ching-te. - China considers Taiwan its territory and refuses to speak with Mr. Lai, whom it calls a 'separatist'. - Taiwan's foreign ministry stated that the island's participation is handled according to the one-China principle and APEC rules. - Normally, Taiwan sends former officials or business executives as its APEC envoy. Taiwan is set to participate in this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in China on the principle of interaction on an “equal basis,” President Lai Ching-te said. This statement followed a call from his government for a written guarantee from Beijing to ensure this condition. The APEC grouping is one of the few international forums that include Taiwan, which China considers its own territory. China is hosting this year's summit in the southern city of Shenzhen. Relations between Taipei and Beijing are currently tense. China refuses to engage in dialogue with Mr. Lai, referring to him as a “separatist,” while its military operates around the island daily. Mr. Lai rejects Beijing’s claims of sovereignty. He announced computer maker Acer founder Stan Shih as his envoy to the summit, stating that APEC is a crucial multilateral mechanism for regional trade and economic cooperation. "All members interact on an equal basis, and Taiwan is participating in this year’s APEC meeting on that same principle," Mr. Lai said. ## Disagreement on China's conditions for participation China’s foreign ministry stated that it handles the participation of the "Taiwan region" at APEC in accordance with the one-China principle and relevant APEC memorandums of understanding. The ministry added that as long as these practices are followed, Taiwan's representatives can attend meetings normally. However, the full report from BusinessWorld Online includes a statement from presidential office spokesperson Karen Kuo, who said Taiwan would request immediate correction if unfair treatment occurs and that no member should use unilateral political conditions to interfere with another member's terms of participation. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre or right-rated reports mentioned the specific details of the APEC summit's location in Shenzhen, which was included in the full report from BusinessWorld Online. ## Who covered it Shares of the 7 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 14% (1) - Centre: 29% (2) - Right: 57% (4) 4 of 11 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-11-14T03:00:31.995765+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 71 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-11-14T03:45:35.013Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports led with President Lai Ching-te's statement that Taiwan would participate in the APEC summit in China on an “equal basis.” Both reports mentioned that China views Taiwan as its own territory and refuses to talk to Mr. Lai, calling him a “separatist.” The reports also noted that Taiwan normally sends former officials or business executives as its APEC envoy. The full report from BusinessWorld Online included details about Taiwan's request for a written guarantee from Beijing and its spokesperson's remarks on addressing unfair treatment. It also mentioned the expected meeting between US President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. ### Right - The right-rated reports focused on President Lai Ching-te's assertion that Taiwan would attend the APEC summit in China on an “equal footing” or “equal status.” Several digests highlighted that Taiwan is participating in the summit under this principle. One report mentioned that tensions continue between China and Taiwan, with China as the presiding country. Another digest stated Taiwan's leader described the island as "an indispensable partner for artificial intelligence innovation and digital transformation," and that it would deepen cooperation between partners. One report also noted that Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs predicted no major changes between the US and China at the summit. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 5 - unknown: 4 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Reuters](https://reuters.com/world/china/taiwan-is-taking-part-apec-china-summit-an-equal-basis-president-says-2026-11-12) — Taiwan is taking part in APEC China summit on an 'equal basis,' president says - [Tekedia](https://tekedia.com/taiwan-insists-on-equal-participation-at-apec-summit-as-tensions-with-china-deepen) — Taiwan Insists on Equal Participation at APEC Summit as Tensions With China Deepen - [Taiwan Today](https://taiwantoday.tw/2/287151) — President Lai lays out Taiwan’s objectives for APEC 2026 - [Taipei Times](https://taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2026/11/12/2003867626) — Taiwan taking part in APEC China summit on an 'equal ... - [Observador](https://observador.pt/2026/11/12/presidente-de-taiwan-diz-que-ilha-participa-em-pe-de-igualdade-na-cimeira-da-apec) — President of Taiwan Says Island Participates "on an Equal Footing" in APEC Summit - [bworldonline.com](https://bworldonline.com/world/2026/11/12/793393/taiwan-is-taking-part-in-apec-china-summit-on-an-equal-basis-president-says) — Taiwan is taking part in APEC China summit on an ‘equal basis,’ president says - BusinessWorld Online - [Sapo](https://jornaleconomico.sapo.pt/noticias/presidente-de-taiwan-diz-que-ilha-participa-em-pe-de-igualdade-na-cimeira-da-apec) — President of Taiwan Says that Island Participates "on an Equal Footing" in APEC Summit Economic Journal - [Noticias ao Minuto](https://noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/3082832/taiwan-afasta-alteracoes-importantes-entre-eua-e-china-na-cimeira-da-apec) — Taiwan Sets Aside Major Changes Between the US and China at APEC Summit - [연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency](https://yna.co.kr/view/AKR20261112141000009) — Taiwan President: “Attending APEC Between China and China in Accordance with the Principle of Equal status... Thanks to Many Countries” - [Fiji Broadcasting Corporation](https://fbcnews.com.fj/world/taiwan-is-taking-part-in-apec-china-summit-on-an-equal-basis) — Taiwan is taking part in APEC China summit on an ‘equal basis’, - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/taiwan-is-taking-part-in-apec-china-summit-on-an-equal-basis-president-says) — Taiwan to take part in APEC China summit on equal basis ## Questions **On what basis will Taiwan participate in the APEC summit in China?** President Lai Ching-te stated that Taiwan will participate in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ summit in China on the principle of interaction on an “equal basis.” This means Taiwan expects to engage with other members on an equal footing. **What is China's stance on Taiwan's participation?** China views Taiwan as its own territory and refuses to engage with President Lai Ching-te, labelling him a “separatist.” China's foreign ministry indicated that Taiwan's participation is handled according to the one-China principle and APEC rules. **Who is representing Taiwan at the summit?** President Lai Ching-te has appointed computer maker Acer founder Stan Shih as Taiwan's envoy to the APEC summit. Taiwan normally sends former officials or business executives to avoid political issues. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Taiwan to attend China APEC summit on 'equal basis,' says President Lai", https://mediabias.news/politics/taiwan-to-attend-china-apec-summit-on-equal-basis-says-president-lai