TAIPEI, Taiwan - Taiwan's president and the most senior Communist Chinese official to ever visit the island held a brief but historic meeting Thursday, capping what the Taiwanese leader described as a successful trip even as anti-China protesters battled police outside.
The five-minute meeting between Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and the Chinese envoy, Chen Yunlin, came two days after the rivals signed a landmark agreement that many believe will greatly ease tensions between Taiwan and China.
Chen made only a few remarks to Ma as he presented the Taiwanese leader with a painting of a horse.
"I offer this to you," he said.
Chen did not address Ma by the title "president," sticking to Beijing's policy of avoiding any terms or symbols that suggest Taiwan is an independent country.
This angered many of the hundreds of protesters who gathered in the streets around the government guesthouse where the meeting was being held. Hundreds of riot police shut down streets around the venue with barricades wrapped with barbed wire.
Protesters blew air horns and scuffled with riot police armed with shields. After the meeting, the crowd marched to the Presidential Office, where police erected more barriers.
Protesters pushed over some of the metal structures and tossed stones and water bottles at police. Some swarmed around a fire truck, preventing police from using water cannons to disperse the crowd.
Chen, who departs Friday morning, planned to hold a news conference Thursday evening but he cancelled the event as the number of demonstrators swelled.
Protester Chang Bang-ni, a 45-year-old businesswoman, said the Chinese envoy snubbed Taiwan by not calling the island's leader "president."
"This shows that China is only treating Taiwan like a local government," Chang said.
China and Taiwan split when the Communists won a bloody civil war and took over the mainland in 1949. Beijing doesn't formally recognize Taiwan's government and insists the island must unify eventually. China has repeatedly threatened to use its massive military to force the Taiwanese to rejoin the mainland.
Chen has drawn daily protests since his five-day trip began Monday. On Wednesday, nearly 1,000 protesters surrounded blocked the envoy from leaving a banquet dinner at a hotel until well past midnight.
Despite the protests, Chen's visit has signalled warming times between the two rivals.
The agreement signed Tuesday increases aviation and shipping links between China and Taiwan. It also included measures for better co-operation with food safety issues.
The two sides decided to hold high-level talks every six months and tackle financial issues in the next meeting.
