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TAIPEI (Reuters) – Thousands of pro-independence protesters gathered in the Taiwan capital Saturday to protest Beijing's "harassment" and called for a referendum on whether the autonomous island should formally declare independence. to China.
Independence supporters take part in a rally organized to protest what they call China's annexation and to request a referendum in Taipei, Taiwan, on October 20, 2018. REUTERS / Judy Peng
The rally, one of the largest in Taiwan this year, was organized by a group called Formosa Alliance, created six months ago, and protesters gathered near the headquarters of the Democratic Progressive Party (PDP) of President Tsai Ing wen.
Kenny Chung, a spokesperson for Formosa Alliance, described the participation rate as "very successful".
Relations with Beijing have deteriorated since Tsai took office in 2016, with China suspecting that she wants to press for official independence, a red line for Beijing.
China regards Taiwan as a lost province of sight and has never given up the use of force to put Taiwan under its control. This year, China has intensified its military and diplomatic pressures by conducting aerial and maritime military exercises around the island and persuading three of the few governments that still support Taiwan to give up their support.
The protesters said the Tsai government should backtrack against Beijing and have pleaded for a referendum on independence in order to avoid being "swallowed up". Some carried placards carrying the message: "More intimidation; more annexation ".
The next presidential election is not expected to take place until 2020, but the ruling PDP will pick up signs of support for the island-wide local elections scheduled for late November.
Tsai said last week that she would maintain the status quo with Beijing, but she also promised to strengthen national security in Taiwan and said her government would not submit to Chinese repression.
Beijing has already been upset by the Taiwanese government's approval to hold a referendum next month to decide to participate in the next Olympics as "Taiwan" rather than "Chinese Taipei", a name agreed under a compromise reached in the late 1970s.
(This story has been redefined to change the last paragraph word to "approval" instead of "plan")
Additional reports by Yimou Lee, Fabian Hamacher and Judy Peng; Edited by Simon Cameron-Moore
