Taiwan PM arrives in Jakarta

The Prime Minister of Taiwan, Vincent Siew, has arrived in Indonesia, after calling briefly in Singapore.

A Taiwanwese government spokesman with the prime minister in Singapore said Mr Siew wanted to discuss the regional financial crisis and offer Indonesia the benefit of Taiwan's own experience in handling the problem.

An Indonesian government spokesman said a meeting between Mr Siew and President Suharto was a possibility -- a move likely to prompt a diplomatic protest from China.

Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province with no right to international relations.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service