Reports: Taiwan plans to send former foreign minister to APEC

Oct 29, 2008, 4:04 GMT

Taipei - Taiwan hopes to upgrade its representation at the upcoming APEC summit by sending a former minister and parliament speaker Frederick F Chien to the meeting, press reports said Wednesday.

The United Daily Mews and Economic Daily News, quoting an unnamed official source, said Taiwan plans to send Chien to the 16th Asia-Pacific Economic Forum (APEC) summit to be held in Lima, Peru November 22-23.

Since the first APEC summit was held in Seattle in 1993, China - which sees Taiwan as its breakaway province - has barred Taiwan's president from the meeting, allowing Taiwan only to send economic officials and scholars to it.

Chien has held several posts in the Taiwan government, including National Assembly speaker, foreign minister and chairman of the National Council for Economic Planning and Development, would be an upgrade of Taipei's representation at the regional forum if he is approved to attend.

Earlier press reports said that Taiwan, in view of the improved Taipei-Beijing ties, was even aiming to send former president Lien Chan to the Lima APEC summit.

Although Taipei is still hopeful Lien would be approved, it is unlikely Beijing would approve the former president as his presence at would signify Taipei's sovereignty, the Economic Daily News quoted the unnamed official as saying.

According to previous procedure, Taiwan and the APEC summit host nation would discuss Taipei's choice of the delegate in advance and then China approves the choice.

APEC groups 21 Asia-Pacific nations. Taiwan joined APEC in 1991 under the name of Chinese-Taipei as China forbids Taiwan to join international organizations using Taipei's formal title - The Republic of China (ROC).