The founder of computer manufacturer Acer attends the Shenzhen APEC meeting as Taiwan's representative.

(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Jong-gu Han = Shi Zhenrong, founder of Taiwanese computer manufacturer Acer Group, will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in Shenzhen, China on the 18th and 19th as a representative of Taiwan.

According to Taiwan's Free Times on the 11th, Taiwan's Presidential Office announced that President Lai Ching-de had appointed Acer Group founder and honorary chairman Shi Zhenrong as a representative of the APEC summit.

This is the second time in 19 years that Honorary Chairman Shi Zhenrong has served as Taiwan's representative at the APEC summit, following the 2007 meeting in Sydney, Australia.

Presidential Office Spokesperson Guo Yahui explained that Honorary Chairman Shi Zhenrong is a representative figure in Taiwan's information technology (IT) industry with abundant experience in international exchanges, and that he also has a deep understanding of APEC's major agendas such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital economy, and technological innovation.

The Presidential Office also urged China to fulfill its promise to ensure equal participation among APEC members.

Spokesperson Guo emphasized, "As the host country, China must ensure that the Taiwanese delegation can participate in various meetings under equal, dignified and safe conditions."

Taiwan's position is that it has the right to participate equally as a full member in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed when it joined APEC in 1991.

On the other hand, China reaffirmed its existing position that the one-China principle should be applied to Taiwan's participation in APEC.

In response to a question about the Taiwanese representative's attendance at a regular briefing on the same day, Zhang Han, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, said, "We have consistently handled the issue of Taiwanese region's participation in the meeting in accordance with the one-China principle and the regulations and practices of the APEC-related memorandum of understanding."

He continued, “If we follow this method, the Taiwan region can also participate in the meeting.”

In Taiwan, in 2024 and 2025, after President Lai took office, Lin Xin-yi, an advisor to the Presidential Department, served as the head of state for two consecutive years.

This year, as Lin Xin-yi declined the position of CEO due to health issues, honorary chairman Shi Zhenrong, TSMC Chairman Wei Zhejia, and former Executive Director Lin Quan were mentioned as candidates.

It is understood that the Taiwanese government appointed a businessman with high international recognition and experience in multilateral meetings as its representative, considering that China is the host country of APEC this year.