In a sign of progress in Taiwan’s APEC participation, former Vice President Lien Chan will be attending the summit, slated for Nov. 22-23 in Lima, Peru, on Ma’s behalf, making him the highest-ranking former Republic of China official ever allowed to take part in the annual event. In another breakthrough, the official list of participating economies and leaders released recently by the organizer included a portrait of Ma under the “Chinese Taipei” section.

It was accompanied by a brief description stating that “President Ma Ying-jeou” is the leader of the member economy and that “the leader has nominated former Vice President of Chinese Taipei, Lien Chan, to replace him.”

Since Taiwan was admitted to APEC under the name “Chinese Taipei” in 1991, the country’s president has never been allowed to attend a leadership meeting in person due to China’s opposition.

A portrait or description of Taiwan’s president has always been omitted from official participant lists until this year.

Ma contended that these positive developments demonstrate that Taiwan’s relations with China have been improving thanks to his “modus vivendi” diplomatic strategy that favors a moderate and pragmatic approach and advocates a “diplomatic truce” with Beijing.

“These prove that we have taken the right strategy: no unification, no independence and no use of force, and not being a troublemaker,” Ma said in an interview with a radio station based in the central city of Taichung.

The icy relations across the Taiwan Strait have been thawing since the May 20 inauguration of Ma, who proposed that the two sides resume dialogue on the basis of the so-called “1992 consensus” that allows both sides to agree to disagree on the meaning of “one China.”

In June, negotiators representing each side met in Beijing — the first of its kind in nine years — to sign two agreements on the launch of cross-strait charter flights on weekends and the admission of larger numbers of Chinese tourists to Taiwan.

In their second meeting held last week in Taipei, the negotiators further sealed four agreements to pave the way for the expansion of flights services, the launch of direct shipping and postal links and the establishment of a reporting mechanism for food safety issues.

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