Taiwan president meets Chinese envoy

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TAIPEI, Nov 6 (AFP): Taiwan's democratically-elected President Ma Ying-jeou made history Thursday when he became the first leader of the island to meet with a senior Chinese official since the end of a civil war in 1949.
Ma greeted Beijing's senior negotiator on Taiwanese affairs, Chen Yunlin at a government guesthouse in central Taipei amid tight security as rowdy anti-China protests continued outside the venue. The two men shook hands and exchanged gifts.
Chen, who is Beijing's most senior negotiator on Taiwanese affairs, presented Ma with an ink painting of a horse, as "ma" is Chinese for horse.
In his only comment during the meeting, Chen told Ma: "This is by a master artist."
Ma gave Chen a ceramic vase, making no audible comment as he did so.