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Agence France-Presse

Angry protesters tried to storm parliament in Taiwan overnight as the island’s leader Ma Ying-jeou left for a historic meeting in Singapore with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday.
The meeting will be the first between leaders of the two sides since their 1949 split following a civil war won by the Chinese Communists.
Xi and Ma will shake hands at a luxury hotel in Singapore around 3pm before holding talks behind closed doors for an hour. 
READ MORE: What to expect during historic meeting of China’s ‘Mr Xi’ and Taiwan’s ‘Mr Ma’ in Singapore

It is a deeply symbolic seal on a dramatic seven-year rapprochement under Ma following decades of hostility, but has provoked a backlash in Taiwan.
Closer ties with China have sparked fears over Beijing’s growing influence with Ma’s opponents accusing him of selling out Taiwan by attending the meeting.
Watch: Taiwanese protest historic meeting while Chinese support "friendly" ties

Although it is a self-ruling democracy with a fierce sense of its own identity, Taiwan has never formally declared independence from Beijing, which sees it as a renegade province to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary.
OPINION AND INSIGHT: The strategic intentions behind Xi Jinping's meeting with Ma Ying-jeou
Overnight around 100 protesters tried to storm the heavily-guarded parliament building in Taipei carrying “Taiwan independence” banners, but were stopped by police. There were no arrests.

A dozen were still staging a sit-in outside parliament early Saturday morning. 
Protesters also gathered at Taipei’s Songshan airport where Ma gave a brief address to reporters before boarding his flight Saturday morning.
The demonstrators burned images of the two leaders with slogans calling Xi ”Chinese dictator” and Ma a “traitor”.
“As a president who doesn’t represent public opinion, Ma doesn’t have the right to meet with the leader across the strait,” said one 35-year-old who gave his name as Chen.
Police said some protesters were arrested but could not immediately give numbers.

READ MORE: How to avoid putting noses out of joint at historic meeting between China's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou
A small group of Ma supporters were also at the airport. 
“The purpose of the meeting is to recount the past, look forward to the future and, through the meeting, reinforce peace across the strait and maintain (the) status quo,” Ma told reporters before he left.
He added the meeting would be a “new platform” for any future president of Taiwan to continue to develop cross-strait relations.
Critics have accused Ma of arranging the summit in secret as a bid to boost the ruling Kuomintang’s chances at January elections, which it is tipped to lose.
Support for the KMT and for Ma personally has plunged, partly due to a China-friendly policy. 


Ma Ying-jeou to become first former Taiwanese leader to visit mainland China since 1949

Why Taiwan’s assertiveness towards Beijing is not a fleeting  trend

Taiwan issue, risk of conflict loom large for Beijing’s political elite

Xi Jinping’s Taiwan comments likely to scuttle talks, analysts say

Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou summit

Xi a 'Chinese dictator' and Ma a 'traitor': Protests erupt in Taiwan as leader leaves for landmark meeting in Singapore

A police officer puts out fire on the portraits of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou (right) during a protest against the upcoming Singapore meeting between Ma and Xi, outside Taipei Songshan airport on Saturday. Photo: Reuters

Supporters of Ma display banners that translate as "go Ma Ying-jeou, support Ma-Xi summit" outside the Sungshan Air force Base in Taipei on Saturday. Photo: AFP

A member of the pro-independence party Taiwan Solidarity Union is arrested by police for setting fire to portraits of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou in Taipei on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou (centre) speaks before departing to Singapore to meet Xi Jinping, in Taipei on Saturday. Photo: EPA

China's Xi and Taiwan's Ma balance delicate diplomacy in Singapore talks

The Taiwanese delegation led by Ma Ying-jeou (far left) with the mainland side led by President Xi Jinping before their closed-door meeting in Singapore. Photo: Xinhua

Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou talks to the media after his dinner with Xi Jinping at the Shangri-La Hotel. Photo: Central News Agency

Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet on Saturday in what is expected to be a highly symbolic summit. Photos: Reuters and AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech during a state banquet at the Istana Presidential palace in Singapore on Friday. Xi arrived in Singapore the same day for a state visit overshadowed by his historic summit with Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Saturday. Photo: AFP 

Chinese nationals wave flags as they await the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping outside the Chinese Cultural Centre in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: EPA

Tseng Yung-chuan (left), secretary general of Taiwan's Presidential Office and Kao Hua-chu (right), secretary general of Taiwan's National Security Council, applaud as Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou looks on before his departure from the Sungshan Air force Base in Taipei on Saturday.Photo: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) meets with his Singaporean counterpart Tony Tan Keng Yam in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: Xinhua

How to avoid putting noses out of joint at historic meeting between China's Xi Jinping and Taiwan's Ma Ying-jeou  

Mainland China's Wang Daohan and Taiwan's Koo Chen-fu shake hands at the Singapore talks in 1993. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Wang and Koo in a lighter moment at the talks. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel prepares to host historic meeting between mainland China’s ‘Mr Xi’ and Taiwan’s ‘Mr Ma’

Journalists wait outside the entrance of the Shangri La Hotel in Singapore on Friday. Photo: Zhen Liu

Film crews shoot footage inside the hotel before Saturday's meeting between President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou. Photo: Zhen Liu

President Xi Jinping (left) and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will meet in Singapore on Saturday. Photos: AP, AFP

Staff at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore prepare for Saturday's meeting of President Xi Jinping (left) and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou. Photo: Zhen Liu

One of the ballrooms at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. Photo: Zhen Liu

Cameramen and journalists (above and below) from various new organisations began setting up their equipment on Friday – all vying to claim the best vantage point. Photos: Zhen Liu

Another of the ballrooms inside the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore. Photo: Zhen Liu

Xi's a mister, so is Ma: China and Taiwan have an unusual solution for an old problem

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou will meet in Singapore on Saturday. Photo: AP, AFP

Singapore's former foreign minister George Yeo. Photo: Franke Tsang

An April 2005 file photo of Taiwan's Kuomintang chief Lien Chan (centre) meeting a Chinese Communist Party official on a historic visit to the mainland. Photo: Xinhua

President Xi Jinping tells Hanoi parliament China and Vietnam can survive 'disruptions', but fails to mention South China Sea dispute

President Xi Jinping tells nearly 500 members of the Vietnamese parliament in Hanoi on Friday that the two nations should remain 'trusted comrades'. Photo: AFP

President Xi Jinping raises a toast with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on Thursday following talks in Hanoi. Photo: AFP

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