Taipei - Tens of thousands of Taiwan separatists gathered in Taipei Saturday to protest President Ma Ying-jeou's pro-China policy and the island's economic woes.

The demonstrators will march through the main streets in Taipei and hold a rally in front of the Presidential Office Building to marks 100 days since Ma took office.

The protest is organized by a dozen pro-independence groups, led by the Taiwan Society and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). The organizers expect 100,000 people to join in the march.

Taipei- Taiwan's President Ma Ying-jeou Tuesday urged the country, which did poorly at the Beijing Olympics, to learn from South Korea in training its athletes.

Ma praised Taiwan's athletes for trying their best at the August 8 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

"But sports reflects a country's power. South Korea, whose population is similar to Taiwan's population, did extremely well at the Beijing Olympics. So we have a long way to go," he said when receiving the Taiwan team.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, in a speech to be delivered later Sunday, is expected to discuss broadening relations with China in an attempt to forge better relations between the two countries.

Ma is to speak at Kinmen Island, a Taiwan-held islet off China's southeastern coast, while attending a rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kinmen Battle.

On August 23, 1958, China began to bombard Kinmen as it tried to recover Taiwan. Between August 23 and October 5, China is believed to have fired nearly half a million cannon balls on Kinmen, but failed to seize either the islet or Taiwan.

Taipei  - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, in a speech to be delivered later Sunday, is expected to discuss broadening relations with China in an attempt to forge better relations between the two countries.

Ma is to speak at Kinmen Island, a Taiwan-held islet off China's southeastern coast, while attending a rally to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kinmen Battle.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou, on his first overseas trip since taking offce on May 20, is to depart Tuesday afternoon to visit three Latin American countries.

Seeking to boost diplomatic ties for internationally isolated Taiwan, the main purpose of Ma's trip is to attend the inauguration of Paraguayan President-elect Fernando Lugo on Friday and the inauguration of Dominican President Leonel Fernandez Reyna for his third term in the Caribbean republic.

On his way from the US to Paraguay, Ma's chartered plane will make a refuelling stop in Panama, where and Ma and President Martin Torrijos will hold talks at a Panamanian airport.

Taipei - Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on