Talk of the Day - News digest of local media - Bracing for talks
ROC Central News Agency
2009/12/21 11:55:55
Taiwan is braced for a new round of high-level talks with China, as Chen Yunlin, president of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, is scheduled to arrive later Monday.
To avoid a recurrence of the chaos and clashes that occurred during Chen's first-ever visit to Taipei for a similar meeting last year, security authorities are on heightened alert and have made meticulous preparations.
On the eve of Chen's arrival, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party staged a massive protest march in Taichung where the talks will take place this time around. Because of comprehensive prior arrangements, the march was more like a carnival, in contrast to the heavy police deployment.
But observers have said the real test may be just beginning as some pro-independence activists have vowed to trail Chen throughout his Dec.21-25 stay in Taiwan.
The following is a digest of some local media reports on the issue: China Times: President Ma Ying-jeou called a meeting Monday morning, with National Security Council Secretary-General Su Chi, Premier Wu Den-yih, National Police Agency and Government Information Office officials among those attending for a briefing on security arrangements and police preparedness in Taichung.
Ma is concerned about the security in this latest round of cross-strait talks Dec. 21-25, in view of the serious clashes that occurred between police and DPP protesters during last year's meeting in Taipei. (Dec. 21, 2009) United Daily News: The Taichung City government has kept secret Chen Yunlin's itinerary during his stay in Taiwan. The Government Information Office will arrange for vehicles to transport reporters to the venues and the media will not know the locations until arrival there. (Dec. 21, 2009) United Daily News: Taichung Mayor Jason Hu said even if the DPP's march ended peacefully Sunday, he wouldn't say that "the typhoon has passed," and that he will celebrate only after Chen Yunlin's safe departure from Taiwan on Dec. 25.
Hu reaffirmed that he would not interfere with the talks taking place in his city, and that he also would not prevent protesters from expressing their views. He provided shuttle buses at major transportation depots to take demonstrators to the protest areas, winning kudos for that arrangement.
He made great effort to coordinate among the various forces and tried not to lose face as the host of the meeting or to tarnish the image of Taichung. (Dec. 21, 2009) Liberty Times: An action alliance of local civic groups announced Sunday that it will stage a series of protests after Chen's arrival.
The alliance will raise a Taiwan national flag in front of Chen's hotel Monday afternoon and will march from a church to the hotel for a rally that evening to demonstrate to Chen the will of the Taiwanese people.
The alliance said it will trail Chen like a shadow during his stay in Taiwan. (Dec. 21, 2009) (By Lilian Wu) enditem/pc e
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