Taiwan's participation at APEC forum offers a rare chance to break China's bonds

Taiwan will take part in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in San Francisco this week, a rare opportunity for the self-governing island democracy of 23 million people and its high-tech economy to break the diplomatic embargo on it imposed by authoritarian China. Taiwan will be represented by a civilian rather than a government figure or head of state, under an unwritten rule that satisfies China's contention that members of the organization participate as economic entities rather than state players. For the seventh time, Taiwan will be represented by Morris Chang, the 92-year-old founder of the world-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Chang is known as the godfather of the industry that has put Taiwan in the top ranks of high-tech manufacturing.