Protesters blockade visiting Chinese envoy ahead of meeting with president

About 800 demonstrators swarmed into the streets around the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei hotel, tossing eggs and pounding on vehicles that were leaving the venue. Some opposition lawmakers sat down in the hotel's driveways and briefly stopped traffic before being dragged away by police.

Chen Yunlin, the highest-ranking Communist Chinese official to ever visit Taiwan, did not leave the hotel until 2:15 a.m. local time on Thursday. He has attracted daily protests since he began his five-day trip on Monday.

Chen came to sign a trade agreement with Taiwan that many believe will greatly ease tensions between the rivals.

Many of the protesters Wednesday night supported permanent independence, and they chanted, "Taiwan and China are both countries!" Some wore long yellow ribbons that said, "Taiwan is my country."

Chen and his Taiwanese counterpart, Chiang Pin-kung, signed the landmark agreement Tuesday that expands aviation and shipping links between the two sides.

But one of the most anticipated - and possibly most awkward - events left on Chen's schedule comes Thursday when he meets Taiwanese leader Ma Ying-jeou. There has been much speculation about whether Chen will address Ma by his formal title, "president."

It's a touchy issue for the Chinese envoy because the communist leadership doesn't formally recognize Taiwan's government. Beijing insists Taiwan is a province of China, and Chinese provinces don't have presidents.

But by not using the formal title, Chen will likely anger many Taiwanese. They are fiercely proud of their democracy and economy, which boasts several world-class tech companies.

Basic Chinese etiquette also dictates that guests must show respect to their hosts, and this is done by using proper titles.

The issue involves much more than manners and political semantics, said Tsai Ing-wen, chairwoman of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party. It's a matter of making the public feel secure, she said.

"People feel anxious especially when we have to wonder whether the president, Taiwan's democratically elected president, will be addressed as president," she said.

Even leading figures in the president's Nationalist Party want to hear Chen say the "p-word."

Ma has tried to downplay the issue and has said he wouldn't mind being called "Mr. Ma." He said if he went to Beijing, he would address Chinese President Hu Jintao as "Mr. Hu."

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