China asks Taiwan for a `new name'

Chinese officials yesterday gave their clearest indication yet that they don't want former vice president Li Yuan-zu (李元簇) representing Taiwan at this year's APEC leaders' summit, suggesting that a "new name" be put forward.

"So far we are still waiting," said Wang Guangya (王光亞), China's senior APEC official, who is in charge of negotiations with Taipei over the unsettled representation issue.

"I hope that they'll come up with a new name."

Zhang Qiyue (章啟月), China's APEC spokeswoman, told international media yesterday that the next move was Taiwan's. "I think it's very clear that the ball is in `Chinese Taipei's' court," she said.

Steven Chen, vice minister of economic affairs, said yesterday that negotiations were ongoing through official channels.

Talks have been taking place between Wang and his Taiwanese counterpart, Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳).

But Chen wouldn't say whether Taipei would propose a new candidate.

Zhang said it would be regretful if no suitable candidate is found due to a deadlock.

"It's not us who have made things difficult, as the rules are very clear on this issue. We do not want to see this happen," Zhang said, referring to Taiwan's absence at the event.

China on Sunday said that it would only accept the attendance of Taiwanese Cabinet ministers in charge of economic affairs, saying it was a part of established APEC practice.

Since 1993, the year the first meeting of APEC leaders was held in the US, Taiwan has sent its chairman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) and its central bank governor to the meeting.

In addition, the nation's top negotiator with China, Koo Chen-fu (辜振甫), has attended the leader's summit in his capacity as a CEPD consultant -- a special designation given to him so he could attend the international meeting.

Wang and Zhang have said rules stipulated by the 1991 memorandum of understanding signed between Seoul and Beijing regarding the admission of China, Taiwan and Hong Kong to APEC should be the guiding document when it comes to Taipei's participation at the summit.

The 1991 document stipulates very clearly as to what level officials from "Chinese Taipei" can take part in APEC, Zhang said. "That's the APEC practice established over the years," the Chinese official said.

But the document simply forbade Taiwan's foreign minister and vice foreign minister from taking part in APEC activities, and limited attendance at APEC ministerial meetings to officials in charge of economic affairs.

But not a single word in the memorandum of understanding touched upon Taipei's attendance at the leaders' summit, which came into being in 1993, some years after the grouping was first created in 1989 in Australia.

Critics have argued that China's insistence on citing the document as the basis to block Taipei's participation in the summit is completely groundless.

Meanwhile, Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) is scheduled to hold talks with his Chinese counterpart this afternoon.

Together with Chen Po-chih (陳博志), chairman of the CEPD, Lin arrived in Shanghai yesterday afternoon.

More than 20 members of the Taiwanese delegation will take part in the two-day annual APEC ministerial meetings scheduled to begin tomorrow.

This weekend's informal leaders' summit will be the first major international gathering of world leaders since the terrorist attacks in the US last month.Also See Beijing