On a visit to Taiwan yesterday, US Senior Official for APEC Ambassador Kurt Tong extended an invitation to President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to attend the 19th APEC Leaders’ Meeting hosted by the US in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13.
Speaking by telephone, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) spokesperson Sheila Paskman said that Tong had brought the invitation and that it was the same invitation that was being delivered to each APEC member state.
Despite an APEC practice to invite the president of each country to APEC leaders’ summits, Taiwan in the past has named a special envoy to attend on the president’s behalf because of opposition from Beijing.
Asked if the US would support Ma’s attendance this year, Paskman said: “It’s really up to the country to decide who to send [to the APEC Leaders’ Meeting].”
After delivering the invitation to the Presidential Office, Tong met with Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Hwang Chung-chiou (黃重球).
The AIT said in a press release that the US ambassador had discussed APEC matters, as well as issues related to US-Taiwan economic relations, with senior Taiwanese officials.
“Tong introduced a variety of issues relating to APEC, including upcoming high-level meetings to be held in San Francisco in September on energy and transportation issues, women and the economy, innovation and trade in technology, and health issues,” the AIT said.
In related news, the Chinese-language United Daily News (UDN) and the China Times yesterday reported that National Security Council Secretary-General Hu Wei-jen (胡為真) had recently paid a “low-profile” visit to the US.
The UDN said Hu had visited the US last week to press the US on the sale of F-16C/D aircraft and diesel-electric submarines, as well as upgrades to Taiwan’s F-16A/B aircraft.
At a regular media briefing, Bruce Linghu (令狐榮達), -director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of North American Affairs, did not confirm the reports.
“I am unaware of that,” Linghu said.
The F-16C/Ds, diesel-electric submarines and the upgrade package for the F-16A/Bs are priority issues in US-Taiwan relations, along with inclusion of Taiwan in the US visa-waiver program, an extradition agreement and the resumption of Trade and Investment Framework Agreement talks, he said.
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China has reserved offshore airspace over the Yellow Sea and East China Sea from March 27 to May 6, issuing alerts that are usually used to warn of military exercises, although no such exercises have been announced, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Sunday. Reserving such a large area for 40 days without explanation is an “unusual step,” as military exercises normally only last a few days, the paper said. The alerts, known as notice to air missions (NOTAMs), “are intended to inform pilots and aviation authorities of temporary airspace hazards or restrictions,” the article said. The airspace reserved in the alert
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