Chen taps Lee Yuan-tseh to attend APEC meeting

President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday designated Academia Sinica president Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲) as his proxy at the APEC unofficial leaders' meeting in Thailand next month and lambasted China for blocking the nation from attending the organization's annual forums.

"As is the custom, I'm here to announce that the best person to represent me, the Republic of China and the 23 million people of Taiwan at this year's APEC meeting is Dr. Lee Yuan-tseh," Chen said.

Lee was chosen, Chen said, because he is a leader in the nation's technology industry, as well as a humanitarian and a devotee to education reform.

Lee won the Nobel prize for chemistry in 1986 and is one of the architects of education reforms.

Another important factor in his decision, Chen said, is that Lee served as the president's special envoy to last year's APEC summit in Los Cabos, Mexico.

"I believe his presence will definitely make a valuable and profound contribution to the topics of the meeting," Chen said.

Chen made the remarks yesterday afternoon while receiving Thai envoy Parchuab Chaiyasarn at the Presidential Office. Chaiyasarn personally presented Chen with the invitation letter to the APEC meeting signed by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Traditionally, the president will only announce his representative days after the host country dispatches an envoy to hand out the invitation.

Chen also took the opportunity to criticize China's bullying and its oppression of Taiwan's diplomatic space.

"The so-called `custom' of appointing a presidential representative to the APEC meeting results from China's opposition to and suppression of our attending the event," Chen said. "If it wasn't for China, I'd have attended the event myself."

The biggest shame of the event over the past 14 years, Chen said, is that Taiwan cannot participate in the annual forum, despite its being a full member of the economic grouping.

"I understand that the host country has nothing to do with it and that the problem cannot be solved overnight," Chen said. "So to be in line with tradition and to avoid causing any unnecessary trouble for the host country, I'm willing to designate my representative to attend the meeting."

Since Taiwan and China joined APEC in 1991, China has blocked Taiwan's presidents and foreign ministers from attending the organization's annual forums.