Lee, long speculated as an emisarry between rivals China and Taiwan, had declined to comment on his trip here.

"You all are working very hard," was his only comment to the press Friday when asked about his meetings with Chen, the CNA said.

Lee met with some top-ranking Taipei officials Thursday before joining a dinner hosted by Chen.

On Friday, Lee also met with Vincent Siew, vice chairman of the main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party.

"As old friends, we talked about economic conditions in both of our countries as well as cross-strait relations," Siew told reporters.

During his stay, Lee also met with Premier Yu Shyi-kun, Foreign Minister Eugene Chien and other top officials in charge of national securities and China affairs, as well as various senior opposition figures.

It was reported that their discussions ranged from economy, anti-terrorism, Taipei-Beijing ties and the general situation in the Asia Pacific region.

Lee also met with Washington's de facto ambassador to Taipei, Douglas Paal.

The Taipei government has kept Lee's trip low-key and refused to issue any itinerary, apparently for fear of annoying Beijing, which has already expressed its "regret and dissatisfaction" with the visit.

Beijing opposes any official visit by its diplomatic allies to Taiwan, which it regards as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary.

Lee's latest trip came amid heightened cross-strait tensions sparked by Chen's August remarks that each side of the Taiwan Strait was a country and that the Taiwanese people had a right to hold a vote on their future.

China reacted furiously to the remarks, warning that Chen was leading the island toward "disaster."

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