Singapore's Lee arrives for four-day visit

Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀) arrived in Taipei yesterday for a short visit, right on the heels of his tour of China.

Despite his habit of keeping visits to Taiwan low-profile, Lee is expected to meet with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and other ranking government officials during his stay.

It remains to be seen what kind of message Lee will have for Taiwan's officials during the visit. Lee has over the years been considered by both Taiwan's ruling and opposition parties as the best candidate for the role of mediator between the two leaderships across the Taiwan Strait.

Lee visited Taiwan in 1994. This was followed by a visit in September 2000, not long after Chen took office. His latest visit will be his first in two years and it comes immediately after his visit to Beijing.

In his last visit to Taiwan Lee met with President Chen, former premier Tang Fei (唐飛), Mainland Affairs Council Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Economic Affairs Lin Hsin-yi (林信義) -- who is now vice premier -- Academia Sinica President Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰), PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) and Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp president Nita Ing (殷琪).

Although there has been speculation in local newspapers that Lee is expected to take the initiative and begin bilateral talks between Singapore and Taiwan on the signing of a free-trade agreement, an official from the Ministry of Economic Affairs denied the speculation Monday.

Wu Wen-ya (吳文雅), head of the Board of Foreign Trade said the foreign ministry has not instructed the board to make preparations concerning the signing of a bilateral free-trade accord between Taiwan and Singapore.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs on Monday expressed Taiwan's desire to sign a free-trade accord with Singapore, stressing that it would bolster bilateral trade exchanges and benefit both sides.