Anti-China protest in Taiwan
Friday, November 7, 2008 at 5:11 am under World News Anti-China protest in Taiwan
Hundreds of Taiwanese pro-independence protesters surrounded a hotel where a visiting top Chinese envoy was attending a dinner, hours before he was due to have a contentious meeting with the island’s president on Thursday (November 6).
About 800 demonstrators swarmed into the streets around the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei hotel, tossing eggs and pounding on vehicles that were leaving the venue. Some opposition lawmakers sat down in the hotel’s driveways and briefly stopped traffic before being dragged away by police.
Chen Yunlin, the highest-ranking Communist Chinese official to ever visit Taiwan, did not leave the hotel until 2:15 a.m. local time (8:15 p.m. GMT) on Thursday. He has attracted daily protests since he began his five-day trip on Monday.
Chen came to sign a trade agreement with Taiwan that many believe will greatly ease tensions between the rivals.
Many of the protesters on Wednesday night supported permanent independence, and they chanted, “Taiwan and China are both countries!” Some wore long yellow ribbons that said, “Taiwan is my country.”
Chen and his Taiwanese counterpart, Chiang Pin-kung, signed the landmark agreement on Tuesday that expands aviation and shipping links between the two sides.
But one of the most anticipated – and possibly most awkward – events left on Chen’s schedule comes on Thursday when he meets Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou.
There has been much speculation about whether Chen will address Ma by his formal title, “president.” It is a touchy issue for the Chinese envoy because the communist leadership does not formally recognise Taiwan’s government.
Beijing insists Taiwan is a province of China, and Chinese provinces do not have presidents.
But by not using the formal title, Chen will likely anger many Taiwanese. They are fiercely proud of their democracy and economy, which boasts several world-class tech companies.
Basic Chinese etiquette also dictates that guests must show respect to their hosts, and this is done by using proper titles.
The issue involves much more than manners and political semantics, said Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party. It’s a matter of making the public feel secure, she said.
Ma has tried to downplay the issue and has said he wouldn’t mind being called “Mr. Ma.” He said if he went to Beijing, he would address Chinese President Hu Jintao as “Mr. Hu.”
( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)
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