Taipei  - Taiwan said Monday it will send former vice president Lien Chan to the leaders' summit of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum held in Singapore on the weekend.

President Ma Ying-jeou has invited Lien Chan, chairman of the National Policy Foundation, as Leader's Representative to the APEC summit, the Presidential Office said.

Lien, honorary chairman of the ruling Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT), was vice president between 1996-2000, and the party's chairman between 2000-05. It will be his second appearance at APEC.

Since the APEC summit was launched in 1993, China has barred Taiwan's president from participating as Beijing sees Taiwan as its breakaway province. From 1993 to 2007, China only allowed Taiwan to send an economic official or a scholar to the APEC summit.

But after Ma became president in 2008 and sought better relations with China, Beijing allowed Lien to attend the APEC summit last year, as Taiwan's highest-level representative.

Beijing also allowed Taiwan to attend the World Health Assembly as an observer starting this year.

Taiwan is recognized by only 23 countries. Beijing bars its diplomatic allies from making formal contacts with Taiwan or receiving Taipei officials. (dpa)