Hundreds of thousands of people chanting "Oppose war, Love Taiwan" joined a "democratic carnival" in Taipei today to protest against China's military threat.
Organisers aimed to rally one million people in a show of people power against Beijing's anti-secession law, which sanctions the use of force against the island, but Taipei police estimated the crowd at just over 230,000 so far.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's ruling Democratic Progressive Party hopes the protest will draw international attention to the new law and put pressure on China to scrap it.
Many protestors brought their children and pets to the "democratic carnival", which featured 10 different themes, such as anti-aggression and protecting Taiwan. The protestors chanted slogans and waved green flags that read "democracy, peace, protest Taiwan" as they marched towards the presidential office from 10 locations around the capital. President Chen and his family also joined the marchers.
Analysts view the anti-secession bill approved by China's parliament on March 14th as a bid to deter Mr Chen from pushing for a formal split from China before the end of his term in 2008. The law codified Beijing's longstanding threat to attack Taiwan, authorising the use of non-peaceful measures against the democratically ruled island if it pushes for formal statehood.
Beijing has claimed Taiwan as its own since the defeated Nationalist government fled there at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. The United States has criticised the law, calling its passage "unfortunate" and a potential setback to cross-Strait relations. Washington has urged the arch-rivals to resume fence-mending talks, stalled since 1999.
While the Chinese law is opposed by many in Taiwan, the opposition Nationalist Party is expected to shun the protest. China's state media quoted Chinese academics as saying the protest could raise tensions and sour ties.