KMT Vice Chairman Vincent Siew (蕭萬長) yesterday refused to comment on reports that he has been tapped by President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to attend this October's informal APEC leadership meeting on behalf of Chen.
Siew left for Hawaii yesterday for a week-long vacation. He said he would not talk about politics ahead of his vacation.
Siew represented former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) at the APEC forums in Seoul in 1991, Bangkok in 1992, Seattle in 1993 and Jakarta in 1994.
He came under the media spotlight this week when a new book suggested that he has criticized KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) and that he intends to leave the party next month.
Denying that he was planning to quit the KMT, Siew urged the media to spare him their speculation, saying that he "is really not interested in politics right now."
"What I expect to do now is to contribute to the nation's economic development rather than get involved in political wrang-ling," he said.
He also said that as a KMT member, he will support the party's nominee in next year's presidential election.
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