Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou has strongly condemned the disturbance incited by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party at a banquet held in honor of ARATS chief Chen Yunlin.

The ARATS delegation were attending Wednesday evening's welcoming banquet hosted by the ruling Kuomintang at Taipei's Grand Formosa Regent Hotel when the disturbance occurred. Some DPP members and their supporters blocked the entrance of the hotel and tried to prevent the delegation from leaving.

The Taipei police helped the delegation return to the Grand Hotel, where they are staying, at about 2 am.

The Straits Exchange Foundation says in a press release that the irrational act has seriously damaged Taiwan's image. Ma Ying-jeou slammed the disturbance at a news conference this morning. He also hailed the 4 agreements that the two sides signed.

Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou said, "The 4 agreements aim at achieving mutual benefits and win-win situation across the Straits. Taiwan will benefit a lot from them. I think everyone of us is very clear about their importance and the media coverage has been extensive. Cross-Straits direct links, no matter for shipping, air or postal services, can not only save time and costs, but also provide a lot of business opportunities. As a matter of fact, the achievements have been long overdue. We begun working on towards the realization of direct shipping and air links as well as the opening of Taiwan's tourism market to mainland tourists back when the DPP was ruling. We finally are able to achieve this goal."

(CCTV November 7, 2008)