Taiwan's economics minister departed for Japan on Tuesday to attend a regional economics meeting amid speculation that he might meet his Singaporean counterpart to discuss a free trade deal. Minister of Economic Affairs Shih Yen-shiang's attendance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum being held in the Japanese city of Yokohama, Nov. 8-14, followed the recent announcement that Taiwan and Singapore will study the possibility of signing a trade agreement. Shih will primarily take part in the APEC ministers' meeting slated for Nov. 10-11. Taiwan, one of the 21 APEC members, signed an economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA) with China earlier this year, paving the way for the opening up of services and the elimination of tariffs. Taiwan has vowed to ink similar deals with other major trading partners after reaching a breakthrough with China to avoid trade-agreement isolation in the region that could have resulted from Beijing's obstruction. Singapore is Taiwan's sixth largest trading partner. Shih has so far played down his possible meeting with Singaporean officials. 'We have been keeping in contact with Singapore, and we will unveil initial results at an appropriate time, ' he told reporters days before his Tuesday departure. Taiwan's Premier Wu Den-yih said last month that other Southeast Asian countries had contacted Taiwan with regard to cooperation on investment protection and other deals. 