Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a factory in Taoyuan, Taiwan, March 30, 2020. /Reuters
China's Taiwan region must comply with relevant Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) memorandum of understanding and customary practice if it is to send a delegation to the upcoming APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting no matter what form the meeting may take, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Friday.
"This is a key political precondition for the region's participation in APEC," spokesperson Wang Wenbin told a daily press briefing while responding to current Taiwan authorities' attempt for Tsai Ing-wen's participation in the meeting, which will be held virtually.
"China's Taiwan region participates in APEC in the capacity of regional economy under the one-China principle," Wang said.
"Our position on this issue is clear and firm. No one shall harbor any illusions. It is completely futile for Taiwan authorities to attempt to take advantage of the occasion to maneuver a 'breakthrough,'" he added.