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Taiwan to get much more respect at this year's APEC

Battlefield of sorts * As one of the very few international organizations in which both Taiwan and China are members, APEC, an organization concerned with economic affairs, is often used by Taiwan as a forum to highlight the rough treatment it receives on the world stage at the hands of China. * Nevertheless, China has almost always succeeded in pressuring the host country to downgrade Taiwan's status at the event. * Last year, Taiwan's participation in the meeting was blocked because China refused to extend an invitation to Taiwan's chosen emissary.

Taiwan's international profile is expected to be raised considerably at the upcoming APEC unofficial leaders summit. Not only will its chosen representative be present, but he is to sit next to US President George W Bush.

In a few days, Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), head of the Academia Sinica will depart for Los Cabos, Mexico as President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) special proxy to attend the summit on Oct 26 and 27.

Seating arrangements at the leaders summit are a simple matter of alphabetical order, but APEC convention is that this year's host sits next to next year's. So, in a fortunate twist of alphabetical fate, Thailand is to be seated next to Mexico, leaving Taiwan's representative to take his place next to the president of the world's only superpower.

Lee's selection for the role has been widely hailed both at home and overseas as the best possible choice given his image, international reputation and proficient command of English.

Taiwan, along with China and Hong Kong, was admitted to the economic grouping in 1991.

Since 1993 when the leaders' summit first took place, Taiwan's choice of envoy has been a perennially thorny issue because Beijing has always pressured the meeting's organizers to exclude the nation's president, vice president and premier from the gathering.

As one of the very few international organizations in which both Taiwan and China are members, APEC, an organization concerned with economic affairs, is often used by Taiwan as a forum to highlight the rough treatment it receives on the world stage at the hands of China.

But China has almost always succeeded in pressuring the host country to downgrade Taiwan's status at the event.

The political tug-of-war came to a head last year when China hosted the meeting.

Taiwan's participation in the meeting was blocked because China refused to extend an invitation to Taiwan's chosen emissary Li Yuan-tzu (李元簇), a former vice president. It was widely believed that China considered Li too political a figure.

While the government placed the blame on China, the incident hit Taiwan hard.

But it will be a different situation this year. Lee's attendance is not only guaranteed, but the nation's international political profile will be raised by the fact that Lee will sit side-by-side with the US president.

And, according to Chen Chien-jen (程建人), Taiwan's representative to the US, the meeting this year will be extended from one to two days at Bush's suggestion. There will, therefore, be all the more time for Taiwan's representative to chat with the US leader.

The public will be keen to know what the two leaders will talk about, especially as the meeting will immediately follow the summit between China's President Jiang Zemin (江澤民) and US President George W. Bush -- their third meeting in a year -- at Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Also of great public interest is whether Lee will have a chance to exchange views with the Chinese head of state on cross-strait matters and what message Lee would pass onto him on behalf of President Chen if such an opportunity were to present itself.

A glimmer of hope was restored on the stalled direct links issue this week after Beijing softened its rhetoric when Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen (錢其琛) met with a group of Taiwanese journalists in Beijing.

During an interview Wednesday, Qian described direct mail, trade and transport links between Taiwan and China as "cross-strait" in nature. He added that the proposed links were an economic matter for negotiation on which recognition of "one China" is not required.

The announcement has been welcomed by officials in Taiwan as a friendly gesture, and, if confirmed as Beijing's official line, a departure from its previous insistence that the links should be "special domestic links," which Taiwan finds unacceptable.

A presidential official told the Taipei Times that Qian's remarks were a part of the line of diplomatic credit that China has decided to extend to the US in preparation for Jiang's high-profile valedictory trip.

Besides Taiwan, China has recently softened its positions on such issues as the Iraq problem and US military deployment in Central Asia, the official pointed out.

"By doing so, Jiang's intention is to showcase himself as a broad-minded statesman, rather than a warmonger, before he steps down [as president at the annual session of China's National People's Congress next March]," the official said.

The media spotlight will focus on Jiang as he starts his meeting with Bush, and reach its peak at the APEC meeting in Mexico, where he ends his trip to North America.

Taiwan, however, will not be sidelined in the meeting, the official indicated.

At that time, the world will see Taiwan's leader sitting besides the US president. "What they will say is in fact secondary. The most important thing is that a cheerful ambience is projected in front of the media," the official said.

"For Taiwan, it would be the greatest diplomatic triumph for its representative to be seen to be at the meeting, sitting next to Bush, sharing a smile, and -- even better -- a laugh with him."
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