Presidential Secretary-General Yu Shyi-kun announced this morning that due to the unreasonable objection from China, Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng is unable to leave for Busan, South Korea, where the Informal Economic Leaders' Meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation will be held. Lin Hsin-yi, presidential senior advisor, and convener of the economic advisory group to the president, will be attending the meeting on President Chen's behalf.
The presidential secretary-general hailed Presidential Senior Advisor Lin as a well-seasoned economic planner as he is experienced in handling economic and financial affairs. Lin was chairman of Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) and had served as economic affairs minister. His professionalism and executive ability have been widely recognized. Lin had attended the APEC Ministerial Meeting twice, one in Brunei in 2000, and another in Shanghai in 2001, during his term as economic affairs minister. The experiences gave him working knowledge about procedures of the APEC meetings and agendas. President Chen believes that Lin's participation in the APEC Informal Economic Leaders' Meeting will bring for Taiwan maximum benefit and will contribute to the the success of the APEC the most. The President has notified the advisor about this appointment and has gained his consent. The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) has meanwhile informed the host country of the decision.
Presidential Secretary-General Yu said Taiwan is a formal member of the APEC and its leader, like all leaders of other member countries, is duly entitled to the right to attend the Informal Economic Leaders' Meeting. However, China has resorted to political maneuvers and has blocked Taiwan's attendance to the meeting, making Taiwan's leader unable to exercise his right over the past years as well as the summit this year. The Taiwanese government hence expresses its strongest and solemn protest to China's brusque decision in barring President Chen from participating in the event.