President Chen Shui-bian (
Chen made the remarks while meeting with Milenko Skoknic, chief executive of the organizing committee of the APEC Chile 2004 activities scheduled to be held in the Chilean capital of Santiago next month.
After receiving a formal invitation from Chilean President Ricardo Lagos Escobar to attend the Nov. 20-21 APEC summit meeting, Chen told his guest that he has decided to name Lee Yuan-tseh (
Lagos asked APEC Secretariat Executive Director Mario Artaza to extend the invitation to Chen in Taipei Sept. 21.
Chen told Skoknic that he feels regret over being barred from attending the annual APEC summit meeting in person simply because of Beijing's opposition.
"I would like to take part in the event in person, but I do not want to cause any trouble for the host country. Therefore, I have named Lee to serve as my proxy at the meeting," Chen said.
He requested that the Chilean organizing committee treat Lee with dignity and extend the same courtesies offered to any national leader.
Chen also asked Skoknic to help arrange for Lee to hold bilateral talks with the top leaders or their representatives of other APEC member states on the sidelines of the summit meeting.
It will be the third time that Lee, a co-winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry, has represented Chen at the annual APEC summit.
Despite the inability of the president to attend the meeting, Chen said Taiwan has consistently played an active role in all APEC events. For instance, the country has made positive contributions in the promotion of digitalization, public health and security cooperation -- major tasks outlined in the declaration issued at the end of last year's APEC summit.
"We feel honored and take pride in participating in APEC activities," he said, adding that Taiwan will continue to throw its full support behind APEC's cause of promoting free trade, investment and sustainable development.
Moreover, Chen said, the nation will do it utmost to assist the six developing countries in the APEC bloc in cultivating technology talent in order to narrow the "digital gap."
Chen also suggested that APEC organize a meeting of health ministers each year to boost cooperation on prevention of communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, Chen promised that Taiwan will take an even more active role in preventing avian flu, dengue fever and AIDS.
APEC groups 21 Asia-Pacific economies -- Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
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