"Although a similar situation has existed for years, Taiwan will continue to try (for a breakthrough), " said Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) Minister Stephen Shu-hung Shen.

Taiwanese organizations taking part in the conference, slated for Dec. 7-18, have been classified as being part of China on the official United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Web site, prompting objections from Taipei.

Though it is not a member of the United Nations, Taiwan hopes to be treated as fairly as it was in May at the 62nd World Health Assembly, in which it took part as an observer under the name of "Chinese Taipei," Shen said.

It marked the first time in 38 years that the Republic of China (ROC) had participated in a meeting hosted by a U.N. agency.

Hsieh Ying-shih, chairman of the Taipei-based Environment Quality Protection Foundation, said the foundation applied to participate in the Copenhagen meeting under the national name of "Taiwan, " but the designation was changed to "China" on the UNFCCC Web site.

"It is an international political reality, " he acknowledged, but argued that despite such a reality, Taiwan could not refrain from attending because climate change issues extend beyond the boundaries of sovereign countries.

Aside from the foundation, the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) will also represent Taiwan at the Copenhagen meeting. Notably, the ITRI delegation will be headed by the deputy minister of the EPA, Chiu Wen-yen.

Chiu was cited by a local newspaper as saying that the only way for Taiwan to gain the attention of the international community is to strengthen its efforts on global climate change research.

Wang Chin-shou, president of the Taiwan Environmental Protection Union, disagreed however with the government's "passive protest" against the UNFCCC's unreasonable treatment, saying his group decided not to apply to take part in the Copenhagen meeting after learning it had to file the application under the name "China." Taiwan has bought energy supplies and even food from abroad, Wang said as he wondered "why Taiwan cannot keep its sovereignty." Attending meetings under names that belittle its sovereignty because of Chinese suppression has often posed a dilemma to Taiwan's government and nongovernmental organizations, but Liu Chung-ming, the director of the Global Change Research Center at National Taiwan University, endorsed Taiwan's attendance at the meeting.

In an article published in the United Daily News' opinion page Tuesday, Liu argued that although Taiwan is not a U.N. member and it can only send NGOs to Copenhagen under the name of China, "for the sake of general national development, Taiwan should still be there even if it must endure all disgrace and insults." He suggested that either the premier or vice premier visit Copenhagen for the conference that will see the participation of 60 percent of national leaders from around the world.

By attending the meeting, the premier or his deputy could gain knowledge of the international situation and the latest on the climate change issue. Talks with high-ranking officials of countries that do not maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan could also be arranged and improve the country's diplomatic position, the professor contended.

Even if a high-ranking official were blocked from entering the venue, it would still draw international attention to Taiwan's plight, Liu said. He suggested that in such a case, the government detail its efforts to have the premier attend the meeting to demonstrate the importance it attaches to the climate change issue.

(By Lin Szu-yu and Elizabeth Hsu)