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Top envoy meets Taiwan leader

By Xing Zhigang (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-07 07:10

TAIPEI -- The mainland's top envoy on Taiwan affairs met with the island leader, Ma Ying-jeou, on Thursday in one of the highest-level contacts between the two sides.

The meeting between Ma and Chen Yunlin, president of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), took place at the Taipei Guest House amid rowdy street protests organized by the opposition party.

The mainland's top envoy on Taiwan affairs Chen Yunlin(left) gets a gift of ceramic vase from island leader Ma Ying-jeou at the Taipei Guest House on Thursday. [Asianewsphoto]

Ma became the first island leader to meet with the mainland's most senior envoy.

The meeting was advanced from 4:30 pm to 11 am to avoid security problems because of the protests organized by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The two men exchanged gifts at the end of the five-minute meeting, broadcast live on the island. Chen presented Ma with a scroll painting of a galloping horse - a symbolic gift because a "horse" is called "ma" in Chinese.

In return, Ma gave Chen an orchid-painted ceramic vase, implying that the two sides of the Straits are looking forward to a warm spring and brighter prospects.

In his short speech to a room packed with officials, television cameramen and photographers, Ma said the meeting between the top negotiators of the two sides "is of great significance and symbolizes a major step forward in cross-Straits ties".

The two sides signed four historic deals on Tuesday to expand transport, trade and postal links and ensure food safety.

The negotiators also decided to hold high-level talks every six months and tackle financial issues at the next meeting scheduled to be held on the mainland.

Ma praised the landmark agreements, but said: "We can't deny that there still are differences and challenges, especially regarding Taiwan's security and international status."

To overcome the remaining differences between the two sides, Ma urged both sides to face reality and handle their disputes positively in order to ensure stronger cooperation in future.

He is hoping to see more high-level exchanges across the Straits, he said.

At a press conference before his meeting with Chen, Ma condemned the violent protests by the opposition, saying they had damaged the island's image internationally and could hurt tourism on the island.

The DPP has not honored its promise to keep the protests peaceful, he said.

Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in central Taipei Thursday in protest against the Ma-Chen meeting.

The DPP's protests began on Monday, the day Chen landed on the island on a five-day visit to hold talks with his counterpart, Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) Chairman Chiang Pin-kung.

Late on Wednesday night DPP chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen said she would not rule out the use of "radical ways" to state the party's position and was ready to face any consequences for that.

Last night, at least 500 DPP supporters demonstrated outside the Grand Hotel, where Chen is staying, despite being warned repeatedly by police that their action was illegal.

Police have set up three rows of barricades around the hotel to stop the demonstrators from reaching it and causing more trouble.

The DPP had threatened to mobilize 100,000 people to lay siege on the meeting venue on Thursday.

Taipei police could not estimate the number of protesters but said about 3,000 policemen and other security officers had been deployed to maintain order.

The protesters shouted slogans, blew horns, waved flags and scuffled with police as they tried to get past the barbed wire barricades.

Some scrambled over the barricades and threw missiles at the riot police. Police said at least 64 people, including 42 policemen, were injured in the scuffles. The others were either protesters or reporters covering the event.