Taiwan bids to avoid war with China

Taiwan’s opposition leader left today for China on a historic trip aimed at easing tensions between the two sides but that drew protests at home from egg-throwing activists who accused him of pandering to Beijing’s communist rulers.

Opponents of the trip scuffled with supporters of Nationalist Party Chairman Lien Chan at the airport, and about 1,000 police with batons and shields helped protect the former vice president as he boarded a jet for his week-long journey, which includes a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao.