Taiwan's APEC delegation yesterday accused China of trying to sideline the nation by interfering with seating arrangements.
"China has tried to influence Taiwan's seating arrangements for the APEC meetings. In other words, China has tried to oppress Taiwan at APEC," said Tung Kuo-yu (董國猷), director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of International Organizations.
Tung's remarks confirmed speculation that China would work to limit Taiwan's visibility at the international event.
When asked whether Taiwan's delegation would protest against China's action, Tung said: "We will take appropriate action at an appropriate time."
Thailand, as host country, made several changes to seating arrangements at this year's APEC meetings.
Thai authorities said the changes were made to allow leaders to engage in more interactive and meaningful dialogue, as well as to improve efficiency.
In past years, seating arrangements at the leaders summit were determined by alphabetical order, with the exception that the current host sits beside next year's host.
Last year, Thailand was seated next to Mexico, the host of APEC 2002.
The seating arrangement allowed Taiwan's representative, Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), to sit next to US President George W. Bush.
At this year's summit, however, seating is determined by the rank of the officials attending.
Selected by Chen again to represent him at this year's APEC leaders summit, Lee will be expected to sit at the bottom of the table.
If alphabetical order had been followed this year, Lee would be sitting next to Bush again because Thailand, as host country, would be at the chairman's seat.
Taiwan is also expected to lose out at this year's Ministerial Meeting press conference.
In the past, APEC ministers sat in a row to field questions by reporters. This year's press conference will include only Thai ministers.
These setbacks have led some to wonder whether China had put pressure on the host country to downgrade Taiwan's status.
"Of course, one is prompted to make such an interpretation," said David Lee (李南陽), deputy chief of the Government Information Office's international division. Also See Stories:
Chen urges aggressive approach at APEC
Lee arrives in Bangkok for meet
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique