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Vice premier set to attend APEC summit

"Chen's appointment of Lai may symbolize a new scenario across the Taiwan Strait."

Joseph Wu, a political analyst at National Chengchi University

Vice Premier Lai In-jaw (賴英照) will represent President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) at a meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders in Brunei next month, the Presidential Official said yesterday.

Yu Shyi-kun, secretary-general of the Presidential Office, made the announcement yesterday, ending months of speculation about who would represent Chen at the conference.

Since 1993, the year the first meeting of APEC leaders was held near Seattle, Beijing has pressured the conference's organizers into refusing the participation of Taiwan's president, premier or vice premier at APEC's annual summits.

Pengiran Haji Yusof, Brunei's special envoy, delivered the formal invitation of his government to Chen yesterday, a Presidential Office press release said.

Chen designated Lai to attend the summit, a move welcomed by the Brunei envoy, according to the release.

Yusof visited Taiwan in June to meet the president and discuss related issues surrounding Taiwan's representation at the summit.

Chen had invited Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), Taiwan's top negotiator with China, to attend the conference on behalf of the president. But the 84-year-old veteran diplomat, who attended APEC summits on behalf of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) between 1995 and 1997, turned down Chen's offer because of what he said was his "shaky" health.

Koo then recommended three candidates to replace him, including Jeffrey Koo (辜濂松), chairman of the Chinatrust Commercial Bank and member of Koo family, and Peng Ming-min (彭明敏), senior adviser to the president as well as a renowned pro-independence advocate.

Chen's final decision met with widespread approval.

"Lai is a very good option," said Joseph Wu, a political analyst at National Chengchi University.

"Chen's appointment of Lai may symbolize a new scenario across the Taiwan Strait," Wu said, referring to Chen's decision to drop the pro-independence advocate in favor of Lai.

"If Peng was to attend the summit, it may cause unnecessary trouble because China may refuse to accept his attendance," Wu said.

So far, it remains unclear how China will respond to Chen's choice.

Lai's presence at the APEC summit also indicates that the level of representation from Taiwan in the summit has been elevated, Wu said.

Taiwan has in the past sent its minister of economic affairs and chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD), as well as Koo -- in his capacity as a CEPD consultant -- to attend APEC summits.

Observers note that China is scheduled to host the APEC leaders' summit next year. Therefore, Chen's choice on who will represent him to shake hands with Chinese President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) at the upcoming meeting is of symbolic importance.

APEC was established in 1989 and currently has 21 members.

In 1991, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong joined the group, with the requirement that Taiwan be referred to as "Chinese Taipei," and that the members of APEC be referred to as "economies" rather than "nations."
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