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China's top envoy to visit Taiwan next week
2008-10-23
TAIPEI - China's top envoy to Taiwan will visit the island next week, just days after activists shoved his deputy to the ground in a potential set-back to delicate relations, a news report said Thursday. Chen Yunlin, president of China's quasi-official Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), will fly to Taipei on Monday for a five-day visit, the TVBS cable news network said. Taiwan's China policy decision-making body, the Mainland Affairs Council, and Chen's Taiwanese counterpart are to unveil his itinerary at a press conference later Thursday. Chen's visit will be closely monitored after his deputy Zhang Mingqing was jostled and pushed to the ground while visiting a temple in the southern city of Tainan Tuesday. Zhang cut short his trip and left Taipei Wednesday. The episode triggered an angry response from the Chinese government, which demanded Taiwan severely punish the pro-independence activists. Tainan's city police chief was demoted and and several suspects have been questioned by prosecutors. Chen and his Taiwanese counterpart Chiang Pin-kung held the first round of cross-Strait talks in June, leading to the first regular direct flights between the island and the mainland in nearly six decades. Taipei has made it clear that upcoming talks will centre on establishing closer shipping and air cargo links with no political issues on the agenda. But pro-independence activist groups plan to stage a huge demonstration on Saturday against China's continued claim of sovereignty over the self-ruled island. China and Taiwan split in 1949 following a civil war, but Beijing regards the island as part of its territory awaiting reunification. Tensions have eased since Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou swept to power in March, ending the eight-year rule of independence-leaning Chen Shui-bian.
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