Taipei - Two Chinese pro-democracy activists, unable to get sanctuary in Taiwan, on Wednesday entered the de facto US embassy in Taipei to seek political asylum in the United States.

Cai Lujun, 40, and Wu Yalin, 49, jumped over the wall to gain entry into the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) compound Wednesday afternoon to apply for asylum from Washington.

"We have no other way but to forcibly enter the AIT to seek asylum from the US, because the Taiwan government continues to refuse to grant us permanent residence," Tsai told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa by telephone.

"We hope the US can grant us political asylum on humanitarian grounds," he added.

Cai said he and Wu, and three other Chinese pro-democracy activists who arrived in Taiwan four years ago, fled China to escape persecution.

"But the Taiwan government has bound our hands and feet by denying us permanent residence and the right to work. The restriction is in fact the rejection of our request for asylum," he said.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said it cannot grant the five Chinese dissidents asylum because the parliament has not passed the Asylum Law yet.

Taiwan said it is also trying to find a third country that is willing to accept the exiles, but the effort has been futile.

But the five mainlanders said Taiwan's decree on Taiwan-China ties has a clause stating that Taipei can shelter Chinese pro-democracy activists on a case-by-case basis. That decree is still valid, even though Taiwan says it is outdated.

The dissidents said Taipei refuses to give them asylum for fear of hurting ties with China, which have improved since Prescient Ma Ying-jeou took office on May 20. (dpa)