Wang still top pick for APEC envoy

Taiwan will continue to hold discussions with South Korea, host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Busan next month, on sending Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (王金平) to act as President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) envoy at the event, the Presidential Office said yesterday.

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon yesterday said his country has difficulties in welcoming Wang, and urged Taiwan to send another candidate with a background in economic affairs.

In response, Deputy Secretary-General of the Presidential Office James Huang (黃志芳) said that sending Wang is a friendly gesture proposed by Taiwan because the candidate is supported by both the ruling and opposition parties and has been invited to visit China by Beijing.

Experienced

"Wang's major tasks as a legislative speaker include dealing with bills regarding economic affairs. We don't see why South Korea has expressed doubts about his background in the economics sector," Huang said at a press conference held yesterday at the Presidential Office.

Huang said that Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), a co-winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry who has represented Chen at the annual APEC leaders meeting for the past three years, has fewer connections to economic affairs.

While understanding that South Korea is under pressure regarding the recent six-party nuclear talks on North Korea, which involve China, Huang said the government still has to fight for fair treatment, which all APEC members are entitled to, including Taiwan.

Huang said China's interference in APEC's operation should not be tolerated.

"Taiwan feels wronged to a much greater degree than South Korea has realized on this issue. The situation Taiwan is in is that the country's president, who was wrongly rejected by the host country, has finally sent his envoy to the summit in a cooperative manner and the decision has been arbitrarily criticized by a hostile member," Huang said.

Huang said Taiwan will continue to communicate with South Korea about Wang's attendance.

As of yesterday, Chen had no plan to reverse his decision to ask Wang to be his envoy.

Dialogue

When receiving South Korean lawmaker Yum Dong-yun yesterday in Taipei, Chen noted that South Korea has a dialogue with North Korea through the six-party talks to ensure East Asian regional security.

Similarly, South Korea should have the courage to resist China's pressure, which prevents both sides of the Taiwan Strait from conducting a peaceful dialogue, Chen said.

Wang yesterday said he is certain that all parties will continue negotiations.

"I'm very sorry to learn of the news, but I'm still entertaining some hope," said Wang. "There is still time for further negotiations -- at least 20 days before the summit. I believe efforts will continue to be made to make things happen until the very last minute."

While Wang said he will attend a pre-trip briefing scheduled for today as planned, and will respect the Presidential Office's handling of the matter, including its final decision on the appointment.

Wang said he was not totally surprised at South Korea's response taking into consideration Beijing's strong opposition, but he was also aware that the US government would be helping him make the trip.

Wang said he did not know whether the communication platform between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) would work, but KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has promised to activate the mechanism to help negotiate the trip.