About 100 protesters in Taiwan on Monday demanded that all economic and political talks with China end immediately in a show of support for the democracy protests in Hong Kong.
The demonstrators, led by prominent Taiwanese student activist Chen Weiting, sang songs and held up banners demanding an end to the police crackdown on the Hong Kong protests. The Taipei protesters walked away peacefully after calling on Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou to condemn the situation in Hong Kong.
"We can't tolerate any more economic or political dealings between Taiwan and China," said protest leader Chen.
Chen had led the Sunflower Movement earlier this year, when students occupied Taiwan's parliament for about a month to rally against a services agreement between Taiwan and China.
Police had surrounded the protesters, which had gathered outside an office building housing Hong Kong's representative office in Taipei, and more officers blocked the protesters from entering the elevators of the building.
Taiwan and China have been ruled separately since the Communists won China's civil war in 1949, but China has never renounced the use of force to take back what it calls a renegade province. Economic ties between Taiwan and China, however, have improved since China-friendly Ma was elected as president in 2008, but both sides remain deeply suspicious of each other.
In an interview with Al Jazeera television, Ma said the Taiwanese people were paying close attention to the events in Hong Kong and hoped Hong Kong and China can come to a mutually acceptable solution on democracy.
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