TAIPEI (Reuters): Taiwan's labour minister left on Sunday for China to attend an APEC event, the first ministerial-level visit of President Lai Ching-te's administration at a time when Beijing has ramped up military and political pressure against Taipei.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group is one of the few international bodies that Chinese-claimed Taiwan belongs to, and China is the host nation this year, with a leaders summit scheduled for November in Shenzhen.
China has rejected repeated offers of talks by Lai, saying he is a "separatist", and its military operates around Taiwan on an almost daily basis. Lai says only Taiwan's people can decide their future.
The labour ministry confirmed that minister Hung Sun-han had left for China, where he will attend an APEC human resources ministerial meeting in the eastern city of Nanjing.
The ministry did not offer further details, and Hung did not speak to reporters at the airport in Taiwan when he left, according to images shown on Taiwanese media.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hung was previously a lawmaker for Lai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party and an outspoken advocate on issues like human rights in Hong Kong and Tibet.
Taiwan takes part in APEC under the name "Chinese Taipei", which it also uses for the Olympics, though China typically uses the expression "China Taipei", despite the objections of Taiwan's government.
Lower level Taiwanese officials have already attended other APEC events in China, which views Taiwan as one of its provinces and not a country.
Taiwan's president does not attend the leaders summit to avoid political problems, instead sending either former officials or business leaders, like Morris Chang, the founder of chip giant TSMC.
Taiwan has yet to announce who will attend the Shenzhen summit.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Christina Fincher) -- Reuters
