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Originally published March 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified March 21, 2008 at 9:24 AM

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Ripples from Tibet unrest rock Taiwan campaign

Beijing's favored candidate has seen his lead shrink as concern grows over what China's crackdown could mean for Taiwan.

The New York Times

Other developments

China moves in troops: China blanketed restive Tibetan areas Thursday with a huge buildup of troops, turning small towns across a wide swath of western China into armed encampments. Hundreds of paramilitary troops aboard at least 80 trucks were seen traveling along the main road winding through the mountains into southeastern Tibet. Others set up camp and patrolled streets in riot gear, helmets and rifles in the town of Tiger Leaping Gorge, a tourist attraction in Yunnan province bordering Tibet.

Bush still Olympics-bound: The White House said China's crackdown in Tibet is not cause for President Bush to cancel his attendance at the Beijing Olympics. At the same time, the administration interceded in behalf of Tibetan protesters and requested a firsthand look at how Chinese police were dealing with them.

Dalai Lama wants to talk: The Dalai Lama offered Thursday to meet with Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao, but said he would not travel to Beijing unless there was a "real concrete development" in relations between the government and Tibet. Chinese officials said they would talk with the Dalai Lama on condition he "stopped separatist activities" and recognized Tibet and Taiwan as parts of China.

Major quake hits: A major earthquake struck western China early today, but there were no initial reports of casualties. The 7.2 magnitude quake hit at 6:33 a.m., about 140 miles southeast of the city of Hotan in Xinjiang province, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The area is sparsely populated.

Seattle Times news services

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Violent unrest in Tibet has created shock waves in another volatile region on China's periphery, shaking up the presidential election in Taiwan and sapping support for the candidate Beijing hoped would win handily.

The suppression of Tibet protests by Chinese security forces, as well as missteps by the Nationalist Party, which Beijing favors, have nearly erased what had seemed like an insuperable lead for Ma Ying-jeou, the Harvard-educated lawyer who has been the front-runner in the race.

Concern that China's crackdown could herald a tougher line on outlying regions that Beijing claims as sovereign territory, including Taiwan, has become the most contested campaign issue ahead of Saturday's election.

Even if Ma wins, the election may give him a weaker mandate for his goal of pursuing closer economic ties and reduced diplomatic tensions with China.

A loss by Ma, which campaign analysts say is unlikely but possible, would be a major setback for China's leaders.

They have cultivated the Nationalists in recent years to undermine Taiwan's current pro-independence president, Chen Shui-bian, and reduce chances that his Democratic Progressive Party will hold the presidency after Chen's mandatory retirement.

Both the Nationalists and the Democratic Progressive Party promise to reduce tensions between Taiwan and China. But China has been wary of the Democratic Progressive Party's presidential candidate, Frank Hsieh, who inherits a volatile coalition that includes many native Taiwanese who favor outright independence from China.

Hsieh and his party, with help from Chen's ministers, have moved swiftly to turn Tibet into a central campaign issue. They contend that Tibet's fate is an example of Taiwan's future if it does not stand up to Beijing.

With politicians from both parties concluding that the Tibet issue is hurting the Nationalists, Ma has focused on damage control.

To the surprise of many even in his own party, he warned this week that Taiwan might boycott the Olympics if the Chinese crackdown in Tibet turned more draconian and if conditions there deteriorated further.

Surveys show Ma's lead has narrowed because of Tibet and because of an embarrassing incident in which four Nationalist lawmakers were caught roaming through the DPP headquarters, politicians and political analysts said.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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