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One of the top stories from this past week was that a Taiwanese delegation was barred from attending an afternoon session of a meeting in Belgium held by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Taiwan’s Economics Minister John Deng told lawmakers in Taiwan that the meeting was principally concerned with China’s dumping of excess steel.
Belgium later apologized to the Taiwanese delegation.
Although Taiwan is not an OECD member, it has been invited as an observer to attend the high-level symposium on the steel sector co-sponsored by Belgium and the OECD since 2005. Deng said that Taiwan is classed as a “participant” at the symposium. However, a Chinese delegation also at the meeting was only accorded the status of “invitee”.
The Taiwanese delegation had participated in the morning session on the first day of the symposium. But the delegation was barred from the afternoon meeting because of Chinese complaints that Taipei had not sent representatives of a suitable rank.
Deng said that the delegates came from the Industrial Development Bureau, which has a strong influence on the direction of Taiwan’s steel policy. He said the delegates from the bureau were of comparable rank to the delegates sent by other countries.
Deng said his ministry believes Taiwan was forced out of the meeting because China was unwilling to allow Taiwanese delegates to attend a meeting where China’s steel policy was being called into question. According to Deng, China currently faces over 100 accusations of dumping from around the world.
Deng said that Taiwan is a responsible trade partner. He said the Belgian apology to Taiwan’s delegates showed that the decision to bar them was inappropriate.
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Also this past week, Premier Chang San-cheng said Saturday that China's decision to allow family members to visit 45 detained Taiwanese nationals was a friendly gesture from Beijing.
The 45 Taiwanese nationals were allegedly involved in a telecom fraud ring in Kenya. They were extradited to China in early April for further investigation.
Chang said that “difficulties” prevent Taiwan’s government from immediately bringing the 45 detainees back to Taiwan. But the justice ministry has secured visitation rights for family members after sending a delegation to China. Chang also said that the government will ensure the detainees’ judicial rights when they stand trial in China.
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And finally, this past week, President-elect Tsai Ing-wen has been selected for TIME Magazine’s 2016 list of the 100 most influential people.
Hong Kong media mogul and democracy activist Jimmy Lai wrote the article that accompanies her entry on the list. Titled “A New Face of Democracy,” the article says that Tsai “radiates a calm that sheathes a core of inner steel”.
Lai wrote that “Tsai has something no Chinese leader has: a public mandate. She shows that democracy in a Chinese society is possible and can be peacefully attained.”