Speaker Wang Jin-pyng bids to end Taiwan's student protests

Taiwan's parliamentary speaker has made concessions to students occupying the legislature over a trade pact with the mainland, raising faint hopes that the demonstrators might end their protest.

Speaker Wang Jin-pyng said there would be no review or ratification of the controversial agreement in parliament until after a bill was passed putting pacts with Beijing under greater scrutiny.

"In consideration of the overall social costs, as the leader of the legislature, I solemnly state that there will be no review meetings or caucus meetings related to the trade services pact before enactment of the oversight bill," Wang said yesterday.

The speaker acted without the knowledge or backing of the government. The office of President Ma Ying-jeou said Wang had not told officials of his plan and it called on parliament to review the pact swiftly so it could be ratified.

Protesters fear the trade pact with the mainland - which would allow the two sides greater access to each other's services sectors - will lead to job losses in Taiwan. They also argue closer ties with Beijing pose a threat to the island's democracy.

The demonstrators stormed the legislature building on March 18 after the government went back on a promise a day earlier to have a line-by-line review of the trade agreement in parliament.