{
  "id": 8677448,
  "title": "Taiwan’s minister makes rare trip to China for Apec event",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/taiwans-minister-makes-rare-trip-to-china-for-apec-event",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-20T11:56:49.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/09/20/taiwan-s-minister-makes-rare-trip-to-china-for-apec-event"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Taiwan's Labour Minister Hung Sun-han embarked on a rare visit to China on Sunday, joining an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) event. This marks the first ministerial-level trip by the Taiwan administration under President Lai Ching-te, as China has escalated military and political pressure against Taipei. The Apec group is one of the few international organizations Taiwan is a part of, with China set to host the leaders summit in Shenzhen next month. Beijing has dismissed Lai's repeated overtures for dialogue, branding him a \"separatist,\" while its armed forces maintain a near-constant presence near Taiwan. Lai maintains that only the Taiwanese people can determine their destiny. The Labour Ministry disclosed that Hung had departed for China, where he will participate in a human resources ministerial meeting in Nanjing. No additional information was provided, and Hung did not address reporters at the Taiwan airport upon departure, as per visuals captured by Taiwanese media. The Taiwan Affairs Office in China has not yet commented. Hung previously served as a lawmaker for Lai's Democratic Progressive Party and was a vocal supporter of human rights in Hong Kong and Tibet. Taiwan participates in Apec under the designation \"Chinese Taipei,\" the same name used for Taiwanese athletes in the Olympics, although China often employs \"China Taipei,\" which Taipei rejects. Lower-ranking Taiwanese officials have previously attended other Apec gatherings in China, despite Beijing's claim that Taiwan is its province and not an independent nation. President Lai will not attend the Shenzhen summit to avert political complications, instead sending a former official or business leader like Morris Chang, the founder of the chipmaker TSMC. The Taiwan government has yet to disclose the identity of the individual who will attend the summit in Shenzhen.",
  "summary": "The labour ministry confirmed that minister Hung Sun-han had left for China, where he will attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation human resources ministerial meeting in Nanjing.",
  "key_points": [
    "Taiwan's Labour Minister Hung Sun-han makes first ministerial-level trip to China.",
    "Occurs amid China's escalated military and political pressure on Taiwan.",
    "Apec event to be hosted by China in Shenzhen next month."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Taiwan’s minister makes rare trip to China for Apec event",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/taiwans-minister-makes-rare-trip-to-china-for-apec-event-8682513",
        "published": "2026-09-20T11:56:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}