Former Vice President Lien Chan, who serves as honorary chairman of the ruling Kuomintang, will be named for the second consecutive year as President Ma Ying- jeou's special envoy to the leaders summit of the 2009 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, according to sources close to the president. Foreign Minister Timothy Yang on Friday praised the former vice president as an ideal envoy to the summit. He said that Taiwan's envoy to the Nov. 12-14 APEC summit in Singapore has been decided and an official announcement will be made very soon. In keeping with past practice, the Presidential Office will announce the name after it has formally notified the APEC summit's host country of the appointee via a special envoy who will return to Taiwan soon, Presidential Office spokesman Wang Yu-chi said Monday. Political observers said that Taiwan's choice of envoy to APEC this year will be seen a litmus test for cross-strait relations and a chance to strengthen Taiwan-U.S. relations, as he or she will have the opportunity to meet U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao. 