Taiwan leader makes concessions on eve of rally

Taiwan's embattled President Ma Ying-jeou offered concessions to protesters today, the eve of a planned mass demonstration against a controversial trade pact with China.
Around 200 student-led demonstrators have occupied parliament for more than a week and are urging people to take to the streets of Taipei tomorrow to increase the pressure on Ma's Kuomintang government.
In a bid to placate demonstrators Ma, who has sought closer ties with China since becoming the island's leader in 2008, said he would agree to demands that a law be introduced to monitor all agreements with China.
"I want to make a clear promise here, I support the legalisation of the mechanism," he said in a speech broadcast live on television as thousands of supporters took to the streets demanding the protesters leave parliament.

"I also want to urge the ruling and opposition parties to complete the task before the end of this legislative session."
However Ma, rejected the protesters main demand -- that the service trade agreement signed with China in July last year be retracted.

"We support the agreement to be debated and voted clause by clause, but I oppose the idea of retracting the agreement.
"It would cause too much damage to Taiwan. It would cost Taiwan's international credibility.
"In the future no-one would trust Taiwan while holding similar negotiations."
Student leader Lin Fei-fan described Ma's offer as "no substantial guarantee" and renewed a call for a peaceful rally Sunday, which organisers hope will attract up to 100,000.

The pact is designed to open up further trade in services between China and Taiwan, which split 65 years ago after a civil war.
But the protesters say the deal will damage Taiwan's economy and leave it vulnerable to political pressure from China.