President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should be allowed to join the APEC leaders’ summit, which is to be held virtually this year and hosted by Malaysia, several civic groups said yesterday.
Tsai’s participation, along with that of National Human Rights Commission Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊), would contribute significantly to the APEC leaders’ discussions on regional issues, they said at a news conference in Taipei.
Although Taiwan has been a member of APEC since 1991, its presidents have not been able to join the annual leaders’ summit and instead are usually asked to appoint a proxy due to opposition by China.
Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times
However, local media reports said that the government is in talks with Malaysia for Tsai’s participation in the virtual meeting, which is expected to be held late next month or in early December.
The virtual summit is an opportunity for Tsai and Chen to propose the establishment of an Asian-Pacific Court of Human Rights, the groups said.
The success of any regional economic integration is dependent on a mechanism that would be acceptable to all stakeholders, to resolve disputes about human rights and intellectual property issues, Economic Democracy Union convener Lai Chung-chiang (賴中強) said.
Human rights are a crucial issue in the region, especially after China’s imposition of a new National Security Law on Hong Kong, he said.
The law has implications for the tens of thousands of businesspeople from around the world who regularly visit Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, he said.
Under the law, residents and other people in Hong Kong who are accused of secession, subversion, terrorism or collusion with foreign forces are liable to be tried in a Chinese court and might face life imprisonment if they are found guilty, Lai said.
The annual APEC summit is a forum that brings together the leaders of the 21 member economies in the Pacific Rim and other countries, including the US, to discuss a wide range of economic issues, including regional free trade.
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