Beijing yesterday said only ministers in charge of economic affairs can attend the upcoming APEC summit, a remark indirectly rejecting President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) appointment of Li Yuan-zu (李元簇) to take part in the summit -- at least in his capacity as a senior advisor to the president.
"The so-called established practice is quite obvious. That is, Chinese Taipei can only dispatch what they call `the ministerial level' official in charge of economic affairs to attend the summit," said Zhu Bangzao (朱邦造), spokesman of the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Zhu's counterpart in Taipei declined to comment. "Consultations remain ongoing, so we will not respond for the time being," Katharine Chang (張小月), Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman, told the Taipei Times.
A foreign ministry official, who is currently in Shanghai preparing for the week-long discussions that begin today, challenged Zhu's remark.
"Was Koo Chen-fu's [
Shen Ssu-tsun (沈斯淳), Taiwan's senior APEC official from the foreign ministry, was tight-lipped yesterday when asked for the result of his latest negotiations with his Chinese counterpart Wang Guangya (王光亞).
In 1995 when former President Lee Teng-hui (
The final solution was for Koo "to receive a letter of appointment at the last moment" as the consultant of the Council for Economic Planning and Development.
Koo then attended the summit under the new title, revealed a source close to Koo on Friday.
The same pattern was followed in 1996 and 1997 when Koo represented the president at the regional grouping's annual summit, sources said.
When asked if China could accept Li's attendance, Zhu said, "If the candidate handpicked by Taiwan is in accordance with the rules I've described, then that person can come; if not, then he can't come."
When asked if Li's appointment as an official related to economic affairs following the Koo's model would facilitate the attendance of the 78-year-old former vice president, Zhu said: "It has nothing to do with his title."
Zhu made his statement in Shanghai around 7:30pm after being pursued by Taiwanese media wanting answers to the unsettled issue of Taiwan's attendance at the two-day summit slated to begin Saturday.
Taipei has expressed its desire for Beijing to allow Li to attend the summit on Chen's behalf in his capacity as "the senior advisor to the president," a move observers said was to elevate Taiwan's level of representation at the summit.
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