Government officials attending this year's Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Brunei urged China yesterday to treat Taiwan as an equal when China becomes the forum's host next year.
Many are looking ahead, and some wonder whether China will try to block Taiwan's participation in the intergovernmental forum next year.
PHOTO: LIAO RAY-SHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
Officials from Taiwan are asking China to host the APEC activities in accordance with established protocol, which has governed the body since its formation in 1989.
"I don't think there will be any problem ... I believe that China will follow tradition and accept the convention developed by APEC to encourage the active participation of all member economies," Steve Chen (
"All members of APEC should be treated equally and should be encouraged to actively participate in all discussions in this forum," Chen said.
APEC's informal senior officials' meeting, scheduled to be spread over two days, concluded yesterday with China's vice foreign minister Wang Guangya (王光亞) symbolically taking over the post of chairman.
"The meeting was very efficient and harmonious, without any controversy at all. So there is no need to meet tomorrow," Hsia said.
Joshua Low (羅智光), director-general of Hong Kong's trade and industry department, agreed with Hsia, describing the meeting as "smooth."
Taiwan and China were admitted to APEC in 1991, with the conditions that Taiwan be referred to as "Chinese Taipei," and that Taiwan's foreign minister be blocked from attending any APEC meetings.
Taiwan's president, vice president and premier were also forbidden to attend APEC's leaders' annual informal summit, which began in 1993 under the auspices of US President Bill Clinton. Taiwan's foreign ministry has already started holding meetings to prepare for next year's APEC meetings in China.
A 20-member Chinese special delegation, separate from China's official delegation to this year's APEC meetings, were in Brunei to make preparations for next year's APEC activities.
A member of the team, who refused to be named, told the Taipei Times that the delegation, headed by Yang Guoqiang (
"Yang told reporters upon his arrival at the airport that China is confident about hosting the APEC meetings," the Chinese official said.
Meanwhile, officials decided to put the issue of high oil prices on the agenda for the ministerial meeting.
Some observers said APEC would not push for a more stable oil pricing regime because of differing interests among its members. Russia, Mexico, Indonesia and Brunei are major oil exporters that have profited from recent high oil prices, but others have suffered.
For the first time in recent years, APEC only has to deal with direct issues in the absence of distractions that sidetracked previous meetings, such as the East Timor crisis in 1999, the arrest of Malaysian former prime minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998 and the Asian financial crisis in 1997.
The three broad themes during this year's APEC meetings include building stronger fundamental relations between member nations, creating new opportunities and making APEC a more high-profile organization. The issues of globalization and the "new economy" should also take center stage during the summit.
Taipei's proposal entitled "transforming the digital divide into a digital opportunity" was welcomed during the officials' meeting yesterday.
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