Word: ma
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...Taipei this week, ringing in a new era of cross-strait relations with unprecedented trade and transport agreements. It is the first time that a top Chinese official has come to Taiwan, the island off mainland China that claims autonomy, and China claims as its own. Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou, who met with the high-ranking Beijing diplomat, has advocated closer economic ties with China and a more pragmatic approach to its sovereignty dispute...
...Chen Yunlin, the chairman of the Chinese organization in charge of Taiwan affairs, met with Ma at the Taipei Guest House on Thursday, where they exchanged gifts. Chen unfurled an elaborate scroll painting of a horse - the meaning of "Ma" in Chinese - and Ma gave Chen a ceramic vase with painted Taiwanese orchids. In the coming months, they'll also exchange furry ambassadors: two Chinese pandas for a Formosan serow and sika deer...
...Ma and Chen avoided controversy in the quick meeting by not using titles - China refers to Ma as "Taiwan's leader" and Taiwan says he's president. They affirmed the Nov. 4 trade pacts will take effect in 40 days, including an expansion of direct cross-strait flights, direct shipping and postal links, and increased cooperation on food safety in the wake of the recent melamine contaminations. Roughly five million Taiwanese travel to China each year, and the agreements are expected to reduce travel time and costs. Ma and Chen also agreed to meet once every six months and find...
...Meanwhile, outside thousands of protesters had hit the streets near the meeting, shouting "Step down, Ma Ying-jeou!", throwing plastic bottles and rocks, and wearing yellow head and neck bands that read "Taiwan is My Country." The opposition Democratic Progressive Party, wary of any moves to draw closer to China, has staged protests throughout Chen's visit. Some 7000 police have been deployed to maintain order, and a couple of protestors have been injured in the chaos. On Wednesday, hundreds surrounded the hotel where Chen was dining and refused to disperse until 2AM, when Chen could finally leave. "The protests...
...Amid the ongoing protests, Ma has assured the public that Taiwan remains a sovereign country and that the pacts were made on equal footing. Chinese envoy Chen also acknowledged the dissent, saying that "has heard and seen [the opposition voices]," but believed "the pacts are for the convenience and benefit of the people on both sides." Chen's demeanor has been gracious throughout the trip, despite the hostility, and for good reason, say analysts. "Any overreaction from Beijing would result in Taiwan drifting away," says Professor Lin Chong-pin of the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies...