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CROSS-STRAIT TALKS: Chen blockaded in hotel for hours

Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) was stranded in a Taipei hotel on Wednesday for several hours after attending a dinner hosted by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) when protesters surrounded the hotel and blocked the exits.

Hundreds of demonstrators swarmed into the streets around the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei hotel, tossing eggs and pounding on vehicles leaving the venue. Some opposition legislators sat on the hotel’s driveway and briefly stopped traffic before being dragged away by police.

Chen managed to leave the hotel after riot police eventually dispersed the more than 2,000 protesters venting their anger at his visit. He was escorted back to the Grand Hotel at 2am yesterday.

A staffer at the Grand Hotel in Taipei, where Chen is staying, confirmed that the envoy returned at about 2:30am.

At least one policeman was injured in scuffles with the protesters, TVBS reported.

Television footage also showed angry demonstrators surrounding a Chinese television reporter late on Wednesday to prevent her from leaving the hotel, before the police intervened.

The KMT blamed the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the protests.

“We condemn the DPP for mobilizing the protesters ... who were engaged in violent acts that have seriously damaged Taiwan’s international image,” the party said in a statement.

DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) appeared at the scene late on Wednesday and chanted anti-China slogans with the protesters.

In response, the KMT said Tsai should shoulder responsibility for the incident.

KMT spokesman Lee Chien-jung (李建榮) condemned Tsai for showing up at the protest outside the hotel, encouraging the protesters and failing to control the crowd.

Tsai contacted the National Security Bureau and promised protests would be peaceful to get a rally permit for Wednesday’s protest, Lee said, adding that events on Wednesday night showed Tsai had broken her promise.

“She must take responsibility for the violent incident because the clash has given the country a bad image,” he said in a written statement.

During a luncheon with representatives of seven industrial and business groups at the Grand Hotel yesterday afternoon, Chen dodged questions about the incident and let ARATS Vice Chairman Zhang Lizhong (鄭立中) speak for him.

Describing Wednesday night as a “unique evening,” Zhang said the delay at the hotel created a rare opportunity for the delegation to chat late into the night with their friends from the business world.

Zhang thanked them for their support and said they had shown the true hospitality of the Taiwanese people.

Chinese National Federation of Industries chairman Preston Chen (陳武雄) said he regretted the protests and urged the SEF and ARATS not to be disturbed by them.

Additional reporting by Ko Shu-ling and Mo Yan-chih
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