Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan expressed "regret and dissatisfaction" over Lee's four-day trip to Taiwan, which came less than two weeks after Lee met Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing.

Asked if the dissatisfaction over Lee possibly playing the role of a messenger, conveying information across the Taiwan Strait as in the past, the spokesman said: "To my understanding, he has never assumed this role."

Lee was greeted at the airport by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's chief of staff, and did not make any public remarks.

During his visit, Lee is expected to meet Chen, who riled China last month by backing legislation for a referendum on the island's formal independence.

Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province and has vowed to attack the democratic island of 23 million people if it declares independence or delays unification talks.

Taiwan played down media speculation that Lee may be carrying a message from Beijing.

"It's unavoidable for him to discuss cross-strait relations," said an official at the Presidential Office.

"If he talks about his views on cross-strait ties, we will listen. But we don't think this is the focus of his trip," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Lee will also meet Taiwan's top China policymaker, discuss a bilateral free-trade agreement and the island's possible participation in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations, the official said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Lee and his hosts would also discuss the island's "go south" campaign to diversify investment away from China to Southeast Asia, the official said. He declined to give further details.

The office of the Singapore prime minister was reticent on the visit, saying Lee was making a "private and informal visit".

Kong urged Singapore not to harm the city-state's relations with Beijing.

"The Singaporean side is clear about China's position and attitude toward Taiwan, and they have on many occasions reaffirmed to the Chinese side that they stand by the one-China principle," the foreign ministry spokesman said.

"So we hope that, not only in words but also action, they can stand by their commitment to 'one-China', stick to 'one-China' and not do things that harm relations between the two countries."

Lee maintains close ties with Taiwan and China, and visits both frequently. He hosted landmark talks between Taipei and Beijing in Singapore in 1993.

He last visited Taiwan in 2000 after President Chen ended 55 years of Nationalist Party rule in watershed elections.

Last year, Singapore was Taiwan's sixth-largest trading partner and probably China's seventh largest.

Taiwan and China have been diplomatic and military rivals since their split at the end of a civil war in 1949. But that has not stopped Taiwan investors from pouring up to US$100 billion into the mainland since detente began in the late 1980s.

An AFP Septmber 17 report said, in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry expressed its "regret and dissatisfaction" with the visit.

"We express our regret and dissatisfaction towards the visit by Lee Kuan Yew to Taiwan," Kong Quan, the ministry's spokesman, said at a regular briefing.

"Singapore knows well the position of the Chinese government on Taiwan," he said.

"It's our hope that (Singapore) will keep its promises not only orally but also in real action, and not do anything that will undermine bilateral ties," Kong said.

Singapore recognizes Beijing but maintains cordial ties with Taipei.

The trip came as tensions between Taipei and its rival Beijing swung to a new high after Chen's controversial remarks that each side is a country and Taiwan people had the right to hold a vote on their future.

China reacted furiously to the remarks, warning Chen was leading Taiwan's people towards "disaster."

Taiwan officials insisted that Chen was only stating "a reality" and not promoting independence and that Taiwan's policy on China remained unchanged.

The newspapers said Lee, who has kept good relations with the leaders of the two sides, might serve as a peacemaker across the Taiwan Strait.

With his assistance, Taipei and Beijing held the first summit talks in Singapore in 1993, leading to several rounds of negotiations to discuss technical issues stemming from civil exchanges.

On Monday Wu Wen-ya, head of Taiwan's Board of Foreign Trade, denied reports that Lee would come here to discuss the forging of a free-trade agreement (FTA) between Taiwan and Singapore.

Taiwan has proposed to Singapore an FTA with the separate custom territories of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

Singapore has studied the proposal and is prepared to proceed with a joint study to explore the feasibility of such an accord within the framework of the World Trade Organisation, the trade ministry said.

In response to a query from AFP, Singapore's trade ministry referred to an earlier press release which said previous reports about negotiations for an FTA between Singapore and Taiwan "are untrue."

Taiwan has proposed to Singapore an FTA with the separate custom territories of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu.

Singapore has studied the proposal and is prepared to proceed with a joint study to explore the feasibility of such an accord within the framework of the World Trade Organisation, the trade ministry said.

Like many other countries, Singapore recognises Beijing but maintains friendly relations with Taiwan, which China regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification.

Trade-dependent Singapore has signed FTA's with New Zealand and Japan. It hopes to conclude similar pacts with Australia and the United States before the year ends.

The China Times said Lee would also meet the leaders of the opposition -- Kuomintang party chairman Lien Chan and People First Party chairman James Soong.

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