The Presidential Office yesterday announced that Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), head of the Academia Sinica, will serve as President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) special envoy to attend APEC's unofficial leaders' summit later this month.
Secretary-General to the President Chen Shih-meng (陳師孟) said at a press conference that Lee, the 1986 Nobel laureate in chemistry, was picked because he is a leader of the nation's technological industry, as well as a humanitarian and a devotee to educational reform.
Another important factor in the decision, Chen added, is that the Taiwan-born scientist agrees with President Chen's ideals of democracy, human rights and putting Taiwan first.
The official noted that the US regarded Lee as "a very ideal choice," Mexican president Vicente Fox, the host of this year's APEC meeting, was "highly impressed by Lee's credentials," and China "held no objection" against the candidate.
Lee told the reporters he felt honored to represent Taiwan at the meeting, and he hoped APEC would serve as an effective vehicle to boost prosperity of the Pacific region.
Responding to a question on how he could best help expand the nation's diplomatic presence as a researcher, Lee said that, in contrast with politicians, he thought his status as an academic would make it easier for him to exchange his views freely in international meetings.
The tenth APEC summit will be held on Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 in Los Cabos, Mexico.
Lee will be sitting next to US President George Bush.
Taiwan was admitted to the 21-member economic bloc in 1991, along with China and Hong Kong.
The organization had bowed to China's pressure and has since 1993 been barring Taiwan's president, vice president, premier and vice premier from presenting the nation at the APEC leaders' summit.
Taiwan was absent from the summit for the first time last year when China, the host country, refused to issue an invitation to former vice president Li Yuan-tzu (李元簇).
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