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         Taiwan President, Protesters Agree to Meet to Resolve Standoff

   Student protesters occupying Taiwan`s parliament have agreed to meet
   President Ma Ying-jeou to resolve a political standoff over a
   controversial trade deal with China.
   President Ma on Tuesday proposed the talks to help end the crisis,
   which began last week when the students stormed the legislature and
   demanded the government scrap the bill.
   It was not immediately clear when the meeting will happen or what will
   be discussed. In his invitation, President Ma made clear he would like
   the talks to be held without preconditions.
   The development comes a day after riot police injured more than 100
   people while clearing Taiwan`s Cabinet offices, which students
   demonstrators had also seized.
   The somewhat Beijing-friendly president has defended the trade pact as
   necessary, warning trade-reliant Taiwan would be economically isolated
   without such deals.
   The protesters worry the trade agreement will hurt the Taiwanese
   economy. Many are also fearful of Beijing`s growing influence.
   The trade deal is part of the far-reaching Economic Cooperation
   Framework Agreement, or ECFA, signed between Taiwan and China in 2010.
   Under the subdivision of the pact now under discussion, Chinese and
   Taiwanese service companies would increase investments in each other`s
   territory.
   The opposition has vowed to vote against the trade deal, but does not
   have the strength to block it.
   Taiwan-China economic ties have been strong for years. Political
   relations have also grown warmer following historic high level talks
   last month.
   Taiwan split from China following a civil war in 1949. Beijing still
   regards it as a breakaway province that will someday be reunified with
   the mainland.
   Economic ties have improved in recent years, especially after Mr. Ma
   was elected president in 2008 and re-elected in 2012.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/taiwan-president-protesters-agree-to-
   meet-to-resolve-standoff/1878505.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/taiwan-president-protesters-agree-to-meet-to-resolve-standoff/1878505.html