Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan's representative at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Lima, said on Saturday that he greeted China's President Xi Jinping with a wave, but there was no handshake or conversation, a sign of the tensions between Taipei and Beijing.
Taiwan, which takes part in APEC as "Chinese Taipei" and does not send its president to summits due to China's objections, has faced increased military pressure from Beijing, including four rounds of war games since 2022.
The forum is one of the few international meetings both Taiwan and China take part in, and where officials from the two sides can interact, even if just to exchange pleasantries.
Beijing views the island as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations. Taiwan's democratically elected government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims.
Speaking at a press conference, Lin, chairman of government-backed investment fund Taiwania Capital and also a former economy minister, said that while Taiwan had bilateral talks with many APEC members, with Xi there was just a greeting gesture across the room where leaders were gathered.
"The motion of a greeting has no details..." he said, adding that there was no handshake with the Chinese leader when asked.
The lack of interaction with Xi contrasts with the meeting Lin had with U.S. President Joe Biden the previous day, which the Taiwanese delegation described as a "lively" exchange of views.
The United States is Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, though Washington cut formal diplomatic ties with Taipei in 1979 in favour of Beijing.
Last year, Taiwan representative Morris Chang, founder of chip giant TSMC, also spoke with Biden but not Xi.
But in 2022, then 91-year-old Chang had a "very pleasant" and "polite" interaction with Xi at an APEC forum in Bangkok, where Xi asked about Chang's health and Chang congratulated Xi on the success of the Chinese Communist Party's 20th Congress.
APEC 2026
As Taiwan struggles with Beijing's strategy to make the island's remaining diplomatic allies to cut ties in favour of Beijing, China's push to host the forum in 2026, announced by Xi earlier on Saturday, has worried the island's government.
At Lin's press conference on Saturday, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council Hsu Szu-Chien said that there were "all kinds of misgivings and concerns" among Taiwan and other APEC members about Beijing hosting the forum.
Hsu said one concern were new Chinese legal guidelines published in June that impose the death penalty in extreme cases for "diehard" Taiwan independence separatists.
While Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the island, Hsu said that Taiwan had expressed worries the guidelines would be used against not only Taiwanese officials in China, but those from other APEC members as well.
"Other APEC members have similar concerns so the fact that a consensus was reached (on China hosting the forum) means Beijing has made promises in response to all members' relevant concerns," Hsu said.
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