Taiwan’s Ma Offers to Meet Student Leaders as Dispute Continues

Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said he’s willing to meet protesters in a bid to assuage anger over a China trade pact that’s prompted a weeklong seizure of the legislature and violent clashes with riot police.

Ma is willing to meet the students to discuss the services trade pact as long as there’s no preconditions, his office said in an e-mailed statement yesterday, after the president said earlier he would not hold face-to-face talks. The offer isn’t sincere because Ma continues to obstruct progress between ruling and opposition parties, the student group leading the protests said late last night after earlier saying it would be willing to accept the invitation.