Two representatives from Taiwan are scheduled to leave for Beijing today to take part in this year's first meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, officials said yesterday.
Shen Ssu-tsun
The delegation for related symposiums and meetings includes 35 officials and private sector representatives, officials said.
Although analysts have speculated that China, in its capacity as host, might obstruct Taiwan's participation, officials said that things have run smoothly until now.
"Things haven't become sensitive yet. We are treating it as just another regular APEC meeting -- there is nothing special about it. But when it comes to the annual ministerial meeting and the informal leaders' summit, there might be other sensitive considerations involved," said a BOFT official, who declined to be named.
But China pledged last week that Taiwan would have full participation in this year's APEC meetings and that issues would be dealt with "in accordance with APEC practice."
Taiwanese officials are also scheduled to conduct bilateral meetings with their counterparts on Feb. 10 from several APEC member economies, sources at BOFT said. But Shen said that details of these meetings were yet to be confirmed. "Whether these bilateral talks will take place will be finalized only after our arrival ... And even if we hold bilateral talks [with our Chinese counterparts], it will be regular APEC dialogue," Shen said.
A veteran APEC participant from the foreign ministry has described Taiwan's representation at the APEC leaders' summit as "the only sensitive issue since Taiwan's admission" to the regional grouping in 1991.
China has blocked Taiwan's president, vice president and premier from attending any APEC leaders' summit since 1993 when the first summit was held in Seattle.
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