Pro-Independence Taiwanese Mob Attacks Visiting China Official

October 22, 2008 5:32 a.m. EST

Tainan, Taiwan (AHN) - A Chinese official who heads an association that promotes better ties between China and Taiwan was roughed up Tuesday by a mob of pro-independence Taiwanese while visiting a temple in the island state.

Zhang Mingqing, vice chairman of the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait and a dean of the school of journalism at Xiamen University, suffered bruises on his arms and soiled clothes after the mob knocked him down outside the Confucius temple in Tainan.

The mob continued beating him as he tried to get into his car. One protester climbed atop the roof of the car and stomped on it while others clapped their hands and blocked the way.

Zhang has few escorts and the few police guards failed to stop the mob from harassing him. He was able to return to his hotel and condemned the attack at a press conference before returning to China Wednesday.

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou apologized over the incident and condemned the attackers.

Wang Ting-yu, Tainan city councilman who belongs to the Democratic Progressive Party, led the mob, which also besieged the restaurant where Zhang was given a welcome party on Sunday, and the National Tainan University of Arts, where the Chinese official spoke at a journalism seminar on the same day.