Taiwan to step up fight against SARS, terrorism with APEC partners

Taipei, June 5, 2003 (CENS)--Economics Minister Lin Yi-fu yesterday said that he voiced Taiwan's strong support to the anti-SARS and anti-terrorism efforts in the Asia Pacific region, but he did not hold bilateral talks with his Beijing counterpart.

Returning from the ministerial meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Thailand, Minister Lin said the major conclusions reached at the gathering included the exchange of information and border supervisory measures to jointly contain the spread of SARS virus.

The ministers of the 21-member economies also supported the concluding of a new round of trade talks under the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) before the end of 2004.

Concerning the anti-terrorism campaign, they agreed to enhance the security measures for ships and harbors, including installing the automatic ship identification systems, before July 2004. The member nations will also beef up the security inspection procedures of passengers and luggage cases at airports as well as renovating airplanes to improved safety before 2005.

But Minister Lin said he did not hold separate meeting with trade officials from mainland China.

He had thought to talk with Supachai Panitchpakdi, secretary general of the WTO, over Beijing's pressure to change the name of Taiwan's permanent mission at the TWO -- the "Permanent Mission of the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu" -- to the "Economic and Trade Office" as held by Hong Kong

But the secretary general had suggested they hold the discussion at the WTO head office in Geneva.

But Lin and other ROC trade officials held a series of bilateral conferences with those from other APEC member nations, including Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mexico.