Reps. Chu, Sanchez, Smith and Congressional delegation demand answers on Taiwan’s exclusion from WTO conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), Chair Emerita of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), and 23 colleagues called on World Trade Organization Director-General Okonjo-Iweala to ensure that Taiwan’s effective exclusion from the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon will not set a precedent for future Ministerial Conferences.
Taiwan was effectively forced to choose between participating under the designation “Taiwan, Province of China” on official visas or sitting out entirely. The issue wasn’t resolved even after WTO Members, including the United States, raised serious concerns about undue pressure from China. It marks the first time Taiwan has been excluded from a Ministerial Conference since joining the WTO in 2002.
“It is an improper infringement of Taiwan’s right as a full WTO Member to force its delegates to choose between entering Cameroon for the Ministerial Conference on visas using the nomenclature “Taiwan, Province of China”— which implies that Taiwan is not a WTO Member in its own right — or missing the Ministerial Conference altogether,” the members wrote.
In addition to Representatives Chu, Sánchez, and Smith, the letter was signed by Representatives Ami Bera (D-Calif.), Donald Beyer (D-Va.), Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), John Larson (D-Conn.), Michael Lawler (R-N.Y.), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Dave Min (D-Calif.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.), Bradley Schneider (D-Ill.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Thomas Suozzi (D-N.Y.), Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) and Rudy Yakym (R-Ind.).
Full text of the bipartisan letter is available HERE and follows:
May 14, 2026
Director-General Okonjo-Iweala
World Trade Organization
Centre William Rappard
Rue de Lausanne 154
1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Dear Director-General Okonjo-Iweala:
We write to express our serious concern regarding Taiwan’s effective exclusion from the 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon.
Taiwan acceded to the WTO as its 144th Member in 2002 as “The Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu” (or “Chinese Taipei”). Since that time, other WTO Members and the WTO Secretariat have respected Taiwan’s status as a “Separate Customs Territory” with the same status as all other economies that have joined the WTO. This includes full and equal participation of its delegation at Ministerial Conferences. It is an improper infringement of Taiwan’s right as a full WTO Member to force its delegates to choose between entering Cameroon for the Ministerial Conference on visas using the nomenclature “Taiwan, Province of China”— which implies that Taiwan is not a WTO Member in its own right — or missing the Ministerial Conference altogether.
In light of this, we urge you to answer the following questions:
- How will the WTO Secretariat ensure that this incident does not set a precedent for future Ministerial Conferences?
- Is the WTO Secretariat putting in place written guidelines to provide assurances that similar incidents undermining the rights of Members will not occur at future Ministerial Conferences?
We look forward to receiving your response by June 3, 2026, and welcome an opportunity to discuss this issue in more detail. We thank you for your efforts to lead the WTO through these consequential times and for your willingness to engage directly with the U.S. Congress on a range of important issues.
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