Mainland official Zhang Zhijun shrugs off violent protests during Taiwan visit

Violent protests which forced the mainland’s top official in charge of relations with Taiwan to cancel several meetings while visiting last week do not represent mainstream opinion, said the official concerned, who was also confident about the future of ties.

The visit by Zhang Zhijun, director of the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office, marked the first trip by such a senior mainland official in 65 years since the Nationalists fled to the island after losing a civil war to the communists in 1949.

Zhang was greeted by hundreds of protesters while visiting the pro-independence southern part of the island and some of his events had to be cancelled.

“Of course, a minority of people have different opinions, and there were even some extreme actions which caused criticism in society and public opinion,” he told state media in comments posted on the Taiwan Affairs Office website late yesterday.

“Many Taiwanese friends told me that the vast majority of Taiwan compatriots are honest and kind. These individual acts cannot represent the majority of Taiwanese people, and certainly don't represent mainstream opinion in Taiwan,” Zhang said.

While economic ties have boomed since the mainland-friendly Ma Ying-jeou became Taiwan president in 2008, deep suspicions exist on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and there has been no movement towards any political resolution.