Taipei: Finance Minister Chuang Tsui-yun has raised objections to Taiwan's designation at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and called for equal treatment of the country within the organization, the Ministry of Finance announced in a statement on Tuesday. As a board member of the ADB, Chuang issued her protest during the 59th annual meeting held in Uzbekistan, challenging the use of "Taipei,China" as the designation for Taiwan, a nomenclature that has been in place since 1986.

According to Focus Taiwan, the change in designation occurred after the People's Republic of China joined the ADB, despite the Republic of China (Taiwan) being one of the bank's founding members in 1966. Chuang also communicated her disapproval directly to ADB President Masato Kanda, emphasizing Taiwan's commitment to fulfilling its obligations and duties within the organization. The Ministry of Finance urged the ADB and its members to respect each other and ensure equal treatment for all members.

This marks the third instance of Chuang protesting Taiwan's designation since assuming her role in January 2023. In her statement, she acknowledged Kanda's initiatives to reshape the bank and expressed support for efforts to optimize purchasing rules and increase assistance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Additionally, Chuang highlighted her interest in enhancing domestic resource allocation, fiscal resilience, and autonomy for developing member states.

The ADB, established with 31 member countries, has expanded to include 69 members today, with 50 from Asia and the Pacific and 19 from regions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Israel. A publication on the ADB's website in April noted that Taiwan had contributed US$1.58 billion in capital subscriptions to the bank by December 2025, along with US$146.09 million to ADB special funds since becoming a member.