With less than a week left before the summit, the failure to confirm the attendance of Taipei's representative could make the arrangement of bilateral talks an increasingly onerous task, foreign ministry officials admit.
Ready to excel
But regardless of the uncertainty, based on his past experiences, analysts say Li would excel in his job if he does attend the summit.
"I accompanied him during the so-called `starlight project' visit to Latin America on behalf of Lee Teng-hui [in August 1991] ... Based on his past experiences, I think he will perform well," said a former Presidential Office official from 1991 to 1993, who declined to be named.
Chang King-yuh (張京育), a political scientist at Tamkang University who served as chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council from 1996 to 1999, shared those observations.
"Despite his less-than-active involvement in politics today, it doesn't mean he lacks a good grasp of current domestic politics ... He'll do his best to perfect his work as he is a man of caution and prudence," Chang said.
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