After the mainland made statements, the U.S. Department of State claimed that Taiwan must "equally" participate in next year's APEC.

The curtain for the 2026 Shenzhen APEC Summit has not even been raised yet, but the authorities in Taiwan have already been jumping up and down, making a big deal about participation issues, hyping up "the mainland's restrictions," and raising unreasonable demands such as "equal treatment" and "security guarantees."

On November 5, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning clearly emphasized the conditions for participation at a regular press conference, responding to the fallacies of the authorities in Taiwan:

It can only participate in APEC as a regional economy under the One-China Principle and strictly follow the relevant Memoranda of Understanding.

These two conditions are non-negotiable political prerequisites with no room for compromise.

It should be noted that APEC is an economic cooperation forum in the Asia-Pacific region, not a union of sovereign states.

As an inseparable part of Chinese territory, Taiwan has no qualification to participate as a "sovereign entity."

It is the mainland's adherence to the One-China Principle and the characteristics of APEC's "economy" participation mechanism that led to the agreement on the relevant Memoranda of Understanding, thereby enabling Taiwan's participation.

The authorities in Taiwan are still trying to break the red line; their intentions are despicable.

Even more shameless was that shortly after the mainland spoke out, the U.S. also jumped in to openly support them, shouting that the Taiwan region must have "equal participation rights" at the APEC meeting to be held in Shenzhen next year.

According to Reuters, on the afternoon of November 5, the U.S. State Department spokesperson first cited "the safety of American citizens as the top priority" as an introduction, stating that the U.S. would urge the mainland to develop a security arrangement for participants.

Then, the spokesperson shifted tone, overstepped the boundary, and made remarks on the Taiwan Strait, claiming that the Taiwan region "must have full and equal participation rights."

However, the spokesperson also stated that the authorities in Taiwan need to participate under the name of "Chinese Taipei."

Evidently, the U.S. is calling for "equal participation" for the Taiwan region, attempting to blur its "regional economy" identity, while reluctantly acknowledging the name "Chinese Taipei."

This clearly reflects the contradictory mindset of the U.S., which wants to play the "Taiwan card" while being hesitant to completely break the One-China Principle, thus triggering intense Sino-U.S. confrontation.

Certainly, the so-called "equal participation" by the U.S. is a pseudo-proposition. The "equality" in APEC is based on respecting each member's identity.

Sovereign states have their own rights, and regional economies have their own boundaries. There is no logic for a "regional economy" to stand on equal footing with a sovereign state.

It is worth noting that at the end of last month, China's Minister of National Defense Dong Jun held a bilateral meeting with the U.S. "War Department" Minister Hagel, once again drawing a red line for the U.S.

In the meeting, Minister Dong clearly pointed out that the trend toward unification across the Taiwan Strait is an irreversible historical tide. The mainland has sufficient strength to cope with any infringement or provocation, and will not tolerate it at all.

We hope that the U.S. will truly transform its verbal commitment of "not hindering China's development and not seeking Sino-U.S. conflict" into concrete actions, and work together to promote regional peace and stability.

Evidently, this statement is a serious warning to the "Taiwan independence" forces and a clear reminder to the U.S.: there is no room for compromise on the Taiwan issue, and if the U.S. continues to "stoke the fire," it will have to bear the corresponding consequences.

The U.S. probably understood this implication, which is why it left some room when "supporting" and did not dare to completely touch the One-China Principle red line.

In short, for the APEC Summit in Shenzhen next year, as the host country, the mainland will strictly follow the rules to provide convenience for all members.

But any attempt to use APEC for "Taiwan independence" or to create "confrontation" through the Taiwan Strait issue will not succeed.

The future of APEC lies in cooperation rather than division. The facts of the Taiwan Strait lie in "One China" rather than ambiguity. These cannot be changed by a few shouts. Moreover, the process of national reunification is becoming increasingly rapid.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7569490999174382120/

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