China names APEC representatives it wants from Taiwan

China said yesterday it had invited two Taiwanese Cabinet members to a meeting of Pacific-rim economies next week in Shanghai, but left open who would be allowed to represent Taiwan at a subsequent leaders' summit.

Foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said Beijing had invited Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) along with top economic planner Chen Po-chih (陳博志) to the gathering of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

"We have already issued a formal invitation letter to `Chinese Taipei,'" Sun said at the foreign ministry's regular meeting, referring to Taiwan by the name adopted by APEC.

Sun said Lin and Chen had been invited to a ministerial-level meeting within APEC scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday next week, ahead of a summit of the 21 member economies' leaders.

The summit is slated for Oct. 20 and 21 and is likely to be attended by US President George W. Bush and Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Although China does not recognize Taiwan as an independent state, it has accepted its membership in APEC, as long as the country is not represented by its democratically elected president at summits.

At last year's APEC summit in Brunei, Taiwan's top representative was its central bank governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南).

This year, Taiwan has repeatedly stated its hope that President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) could attend, and China has just as repeatedly shot down the proposal.

Local media have said that some favor Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), chairman of Koo's Group (和信集團), as Chen's representative at the Shanghai summit.