China Official Visits Taiwan Amid Protest

Taiwanese Leader Meets With Highest-Ranking Communist Chinese Official To Visit Taiwan

(AP)  Amid rowdy street protests, Taiwan's leader shook hands and exchanged gifts Thursday with the most senior Communist Chinese official to visit the island, declaring the envoy's trip a success but saying that major disputes still exist.

The historic meeting came five hours earlier than planned to avoid chaotic demonstrations by Taiwan independence groups that threatened to lay siege to the capital. Hundreds of riot police shut down streets around the venue with barricades wrapped with barbed wire.

During the five-minute meeting, Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou praised a landmark agreement signed by the rivals Tuesday. The deal increases aviation and shipping links. It also included measures for better cooperation with food safety issues.

The two sides decided to hold high-level talks every six months and tackle financial issues in the next meeting.

But Ma added, "We can't deny that there still are differences and challenges, especially regarding Taiwan's security and international status."

The two sides split when the Communists won a bloody civil war and took over the mainland in 1949. Beijing doesn't formally recognize Taiwan's democratically elected government and insists the island is a Chinese province that must unify eventually.

China has repeatedly threatened to use its massive military to force the Taiwanese to rejoin the mainland.

The Chinese envoy didn't give a speech and only uttered a couple remarks to Ma as he presented the Taiwanese leader with a painting of a horse while they met in a government guesthouse. Chen said the artwork was done by a famous painter.

"I offer this to you," he said.

Chen was careful not to address Ma as "president," sticking to Beijing's policy of avoiding any terms or symbols that suggest Taiwan is an independent country.

This angered many of the hundreds of protesters who gathered in the streets around the meeting venue, blowing air horns and scuffling with riot police armed with shields. After the meeting, the crowd began marching to the Presidential Office.

Chang Bang-ni, a 45-year-old businesswoman, said the Chinese envoy snubbed Taiwan by not calling the island's leader "president."

"This shows that China is only treating Taiwan like a local government," said Chang, who skipped work to protest.

Another protester, Ko Kai-liang, accused Ma of embarrassing Taiwan by being too accommodating to the Chinese.

"Ma is sucking up to China by degrading Taiwan's sovereignty and this humiliates our country," said Ko, 40, who works for a chemical company.

Protesters have dogged Chen since he began his five-day visit Monday. Nearly a 1,000 demonstrators surrounded a hotel Wednesday where he attended a dinner banquet, trapping him in the building until well past midnight.

[wcreader]

Instead of being the threat, In summary, I believe the Chinese official, Chen Yunlin%u2019s visit to Taiwan will help people from both side of the Taiwan Strait in promoting business and jobs, promoting mutual understanding, and mutual respect, thus to promote peace. It is 21 century, the world is a much different world, we should all FREE the mind set of ourselves from the isolation of the cold war.

[wcreader]

Dear Linuslin, understand your feeling of uncomfortable and "terribly worried", However, ask ourselves, Is it really true that %u201Cpolice officers have been brutally disrupting our supporters demonstration?%u201D or it is, indeed, the violent protester organized by DPP intensionally to push into the police line, hit and wounded more than 149 officers and journalists? Is it really true that Chen Shui-bian has been trying hard to persuade China ..be good friends and partners? or He was the one who stir up hate among different ethnic group, demonize KMT and Chinese people. Is it also true that Chen Yunlin has been helping/serving Taiwan business man, tourist in the past 20 years? saving Taiwan Tourist during the huge earthquake.

[linuslin2209]

(Part II)

After President Ma%u2019s inauguration, Beijing has a totally deferent face. WHY?

Chinese leaders always said that mainland and Taiwan are parts of China and ONLY the communist government can legitimately represent that China.

So, when China and Ma%u2019s administration are exchanging %u201Cgoodwill%u201D day by day --- direct airway, which might put our air defense in danger, recognizing Chinese diplomas, which could leave much more Taiwanese young people without chances to find jobs --- more and more our fellow Taiwanese are terribly worried that there might be %u201Cunspoken consensus%u201D between KMT and Communist which means Taiwan is losing its autonomy and defact to independence.

That%u2019s why so many Taiwanese people are getting uncomfortable about the visit by Chen Yunlin and his vanguard Zhang Mingqing.

Furthermore, those police officers have been brutally disrupting our supporters%u2019 demonstration and putting places like Taipei City and Taoyuan Airport under de facto martial law, which might indicate that KMT and the Communist are working hand in hand to repress Taiwanese and kill our freedom and democracy step by step.

We don%u2019t want to see more tension in cross straight relationship and wish a peaceful solution for disputes between Taiwan and China. But we can%u2019t and will never accept that we achieve this at the cost of our sovereignty, our national security, our way of democratic life and our dignity as Taiwanese.

[linuslin2209]

About the visit by Chinese official Chen Yunlin, we, on behalf of most Taiwanese people, has some concerns.

We also want good and normal relationship with China. Actually, when Democratic Progressive Party, the main opposition at this moment, was in power from 2000 to early 2008, former president Chen Shui-bian and his administration have been trying hard to persuade China that both sides can be good friends and partners, working together to make both China and Taiwan peaceful and prosperous. We always think that we can achieve this while two sides are deferent countries.

But, as you understand, China always responded with coercive actions and military threat. This was because DPP government insisted that Taiwan should be treated as a sovereign nation, not a part of People%u2019s Republic of China.

(Part I, to be continued to Part II)

[linuslin2209]

I totally don''t agree with your point, Mr. WCREADER.

When the current Taiwan''s government can''t prevent our own sovereignty, bonding to China, letting the policemen and security authority infringing the basic human right (including having our country''s flag, to have a tea in the restaurant, speaking out the demanding for Taiwaneses'' worries about losing Taiwan''s sovereignty), and changing the meeting time only 1 hour ago to avoid the voice of protests, no wonder the protesters will arouse more angers with serious fighting.

Personally I really don''t think it will hurt any of the image of Taiwan, and it''s the first declaration of Taiwanese voice toward China, even though it''s not loud enough to have the world heard.

[wcreader]

..."This angered many of the hundreds of protesters who gathered in the streets around the meeting venue, blowing air horns and scuffling with riot police armed with shields."
Is that the reason, per this report, to be angry, then, to attack police officer and to attack news reporters?? or is the violent attack was just a organize and plan act by the few extreme, violent, corrupt party members of the ex-presendent,Mr chen, whom solely want to do political show, to demonize the both newly elected Ma''s government and the mainland Chinese official? The same party whom organize this protest had behaved like a street gang to violently attack an elderly scholar from mainland a few weeks ago. It is shame and sad. This act had only hurt the image of Taiwan.

[yurang]

McCain had known the election result much earlier.Not so much that he has been in the deficit,we might as well say that he is trying to complete a task.Now,he got through this task with Obama,proved to the world the U.S. presidential election how mature,confirmed that the election is very good.Of course,the majority of the countries or regions learning U.S. have just learnt the skin,not the essence.So we have seen,the students in this region,the ruling party did the first thing is the liquidation.