In a rare development, Taiwanese Labour Minister Hung Sun-han is expected to travel to Nanjing on Sunday, becoming the first cabinet-level official under William Lai Ching-te’s administration to visit mainland China.
Hung will attend an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) ministerial meeting on Monday to discuss employment, vocational training, social security and the impact of artificial intelligence on jobs.
Hung will be the most senior Taiwanese official to visit the mainland for Apec events this year. The island’s vice-minister of economic affairs, Lai Chien-hsin, took part in the energy ministerial meeting in Beijing last week and then chief trade negotiator Yang Jen-ni participated in a trade ministers’ meeting in Suzhou in May.
While Hung’s visit is being closely watched for signs of a possible thaw in a prolonged cross-strait stand-off, analysts have cautioned against interpreting it as an icebreaking trip or a resumption of official exchanges between Taipei and Beijing.
The trip will also take place just days before US President Donald Trump is expected to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington, putting Taiwan under renewed scrutiny as their two powers seek to manage their differences.