Taiwan Quick Take: Lu to give speech in absentia

Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮), founder and chairwoman of the Democratic Pacific Union (DPU), is to address the opening of the 2006 West Pacific Regional Convention of the DPU in Seoul via teleconference today, a diplomatic source in South Korea said yesterday. Lu had originally planned to travel to Seoul to deliver the keynote speech at the convention, but was denied entry by the South Korean government in the name of the "one China" principle, the source said. She then decided to deliver her speech, titled "New Vision of the New West Pacific" via teleconference, the source said. Delegates from Taiwan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, Palau, East Timor, Singapore, Tuvalu and South Korea are expected to attend the two-day convention. The Taiwanese delegation will be led by former vice premier Wu Rong-i (吳榮義), who is currently a senior adviser to the president.