Surprise as Chen picks APEC envoy

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) has tapped former vice president Li Yuan-zu (李元簇) to be his envoy at the APEC summit in Shanghai on Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.

In making the announcement yesterday, Secretary-General to the President Yu Shyi-kun said that Li was chosen for his background in criminal law and experience as a justice minister.

Li "should be highly regarded [at the summit], where anti-terrorism will be a major issue for discussion this year in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the US," Yu said.

Yu noted that although Li -- currently a national policy adviser to the president -- was no longer active in politics, he was still well-respected by the public.

The secretary-general added that Chen placed a phone call to Li last Wednesday and officially invited him to take the job.

But the 78-year-old Li is known to keep a low profile. Yesterday he said that he had never told Chen that he would accept the appointment.

"I would advise the president to look for other, better choices," Li told reporters yesterday, adding that he has not yet been formally informed of Chen's final decision.

In response, Yu yesterday said that Li was only "being polite," saying that he had been a perfect choice for the president.

But the decision requires China's blessing. Beijing often uses Taiwan's participation in international forums as an opportunity to insult the country, and Taiwan -- eager to participate -- grudgingly accepts China's slights.

If Beijing agrees to Chen's nomination it would mark a higher level of representation for the country at an APEC summit, as Li is a former vice president. In addition, Li would be Taiwan's first representative at APEC's informal leaders' meeting without a background in economics.

For this reason, the announcement surprised many observers yesterday.

The Presidential Office emphasized Li's former status within government circles and said this made him a very suitable candidate for the job.

"Besides, Li has been keeping very good relations with the president and the DPP government," a presidential aide told the Taipei Times yesterday.

The source added that Li did not register as a KMT member last year.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂) said yesterday the ministry was "still negotiating" with China as to whether Beijing would dispatch an envoy to Taipei to deliver a formal invitation to the meeting.

Tien said Li was "the appropriate candidate" to represent President Chen at the summit, because anti-terrorism is the scheduled topic for the meeting.

Government sources conceded that Li's name was not on the recommendation list put forward by the foreign ministry.

The APEC annual ministerial-level meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday.