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Taiwan leader meets China envoy China makes Taiwan plea to Obama
(about 2 hours later)
Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou has met China's senior envoy to the island in the highest level contact since 1949. China's government has urged America's new president-elect, Barack Obama, to oppose independence for Taiwan.
The brief meeting was brought forward five hours to avoid continuing protests by Taiwanese pro-independence groups. A foreign ministry spokesman said the issue was key to good relations.
Mr Ma defended his agreements with Beijing, saying they did not damage Taiwan's sovereignty. The demand comes after Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou held a brief but historic meeting with a senior Chinese envoy in the Taiwanese capital, Taipei.
The Chinese envoy, Chen Yunlin, has signed economic agreements with Taiwan but has also been the target of street protesters since he arrived on Monday. But the meeting was vehemently opposed by thousands of protesters, who object to the closer trade and economic ties agreed in a deal this week.
On Wednesday night, crowds mobbed the hotel in which Mr Chen was eating, preventing him leaving the building. Taiwan has been ruled separately since the end of the Chinese civil in 1949; the defeated Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity.
Thursday's meeting between Mr Chen and President Ma lasted just five minutes and involved the exchange of gifts - a vase from Mr Ma and a large scroll painting of a horse from Mr Chen. But Beijing sees the island as a breakaway province which should be reunified, by force if necessary.
Mr Ma said the meeting "symbolises a major step forward for cross-strait ties," and will "contribute to cross-strait stability and prosperity". Advertisement
"But we cannot deny that differences and challenges still exist, such as Taiwan's security and Taiwan's position in the international community. Riot police struggle to control anti-Beijing protesters in Taipei
"In the future both sides should see the reality and should not deny each other's existence in order to promote the welfare of the people and cross-strait peace and to resolve our differences," he said in comments broadcast live. 'Stop selling weapons'
He is the first leader of Taiwan to meet with a senior Chinese official since the end of a civil war in 1949 which saw the communists take power in Beijing, and the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan to create a self-governing entity which China still claims as its own. "We urge the United States to honour its commitment... honour the one-China policy and stop selling weapons to Taiwan," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told journalists in Beijing, after being asked to comment on US-China relations following Mr Obama's election win.
Late-night protest Mr Chen and President Ma exchanged a painting of a horse and a vase"Judging from the development of bilateral relations in the past years, the Taiwan issue is the most sensitive issue."
Days of vociferous protest by Taiwanese who claim Mr Ma is selling out their independent identity led to a change of schedule for the high-level meeting. It has already been US policy to uphold the one-China principle which sees Taiwan as part of mainland China.
Mr Chen's visit has already resulted in the signing of trade deals But it is such an important issue to the Chinese that they take every opportunity to restate it - and to ask others to restate it - says a BBC China correspondent Chris Hogg.
Rowdy protesters still gathered outside the venue, one day after hundreds of protesters confined Mr Chen to a hotel where he was having dinner until well after midnight. Earlier this year, one of the president-elect's senior foreign policy advisers made clear there were no plans for the Obama administration to change tack on this issue, he adds.
Taiwanese pro-independence groups accuse Mr Ma of selling out sovereignty in return for lucrative business deals. Last month the Bush administration told Congress it planned to sell more than $6bn (£3.8bn) worth of weapons to Taipei - prompting a furious reaction from China, and the subsequent cancellation of some some military and diplomatic exchanges, according to US officials.
Mr Ma's overtures, aimed at ending decades of political rivalry with Beijing, have sparked fierce protests in Taiwan since August. Mr Qin's remarks come amid a five-day visit to Taiwan by Chen Yunlin, the most senior Communist Chinese official to visit the island since 1949.
Thousands of police have been deployed to ensure Mr Chen's safety during his visit, after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit last month. In the future both sides should see the reality and should not deny each other's existence Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou Earlier in the week, Mr Chen agreed a landmark deal to improve direct trade and transport links, and on Thursday, he held a short but historic meeting with President Ma.
No compromise? The two made a few cordial remarks as they exchanged gifts - a painting of a horse for President Ma (whose name sounds like "horse" in Chinese), and a ceramic vase for Mr Chen.
Before meeting Mr Chen, Mr Ma addressed Taiwan through a press conference, saying the negotiations were "mutually beneficial to create a win-win situation for both sides, which will benefit Taiwan. But Mr Chen's avoidance of the term "president" when addressing Mr Ma - a term Beijing considers would suggest Taiwan's independence - infuriated protesters gathered outside the government guesthouse where they met.
"I did not concede an inch of Taiwan's sovereignty so as president I have not made any mistakes. Fears for jobs
"The Republic of China is a sovereign, independent country," he said, using the formal name for Taiwan and the island's way of differentiating itself from the People's Republic of China. "This shows that China is only treating Taiwan like a local government," said Chang Bang-ni, a middle-aged businesswoman demonstrating outside.
Deals were signed to introduce direct cargo shipping and postal services, increase passenger flights, shorten existing routes across the Taiwan Strait, and allow more mainland tourists to visit Taiwan. Some protesters also voiced fears that closer economic ties with China could mean jobs lost on the island to the cheaper market on the other side of the Taiwanese Straits.
Closer cooperation was promised on food safety. President Ma says this week's deal "symbolises a major step forward for cross-strait ties," and will "contribute to cross-strait stability and prosperity".
The two sides also agreed a wildlife swap, with China receiving a deer and a Formosa serow, a goat-like animal native to Taiwan, in exchange for two pandas. "But we cannot deny that differences and challenges still exist, such as Taiwan's security and Taiwan's position in the international community," he said in comments broadcast live.
Previously, sovereignty issues involving vessels and crews forced costly detours through third countries, while China-Taiwan flights were forced to stop in Hong Kong or Macau. "In the future, both sides should see the reality and should not deny each other's existence in order to promote the welfare of the people and cross-strait peace and to resolve our differences."
Mr Chen's visit has attracted daily protests since it began on Monday, and thousands of police have been deployed to ensure his safety.
On Wednesday night, crowds mobbed the hotel in which Mr Chen was eating, preventing him from leaving the building until well after midnight.
Last month, his deputy Zhang Mingqing was knocked to the ground by protesters during a visit.