Apec set for summit row

Shanghai's Pudong financial district is on show this week

Taiwan and China are locked in a disagreement over who should represent Taiwan at a summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum this coming weekend.

China has objected to Taipei's plan to send a former vice president, Li Yuan-zu, to the informal meeting of regional leaders.

Security at the venues is very tight

Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a renegade province, has said the island should abide by agreements stipulating that Taipei should send a minister in an economy-related post to the annual summits.

Taiwan has previously sent either its chief economic planner or central bank governor to the summits.

China's foreign ministry said Taiwan should stick to precedent. But a Taiwanese foreign ministry spokeswoman said there was no alternative candidate to Mr Li.

Taiwan's status at issue

Correspondents say Mr Li, a senior adviser to the president and an expert on criminal law, was chosen because of his potential contribution to the debate on anti-terrorism, which is expected to dominate the forum.

Senior officials from the member states have been meeting

China is reluctant to allow him to attend the summit because it could be interpreted as a higher level of Taiwanese representation at Apec summits.

Taiwan joined Apec in 1991 under the label Chinese Taipei. Its status is described as an "economy" - a label designed to get around China's objections to recognising Taiwan as a state.

Two senior Taiwanese officials have arrived in Shanghai for ministerial-level meetings scheduled for the first half of the week.

Economic Affairs Minister Lin Hsin-yi and the island's top economic planner, Chen Po-chih said they would be exchanging views with Chinese government officials.

But neither man would comment on the issue of Mr Li.