Taipei - Taiwan stocks shed more than 3 per cent Thursday, over possible Taipei-Beijing tension arising from upcoming anti-China demonstrations.

The TAIEX index fell 150.89 points, or 3.19 per cent, to close at 4,579.62.

Analysts attributed the fall to the plunge of major Asian stock markets - with South Korean shares dipping more than 9 per cent and Japanese shares down more than 7 per cent in mid-morning trading - and possible cross-strait tension arising from anti-China protests planned Saturday by Taiwan separatists.

Tens of thousands of supporters of the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party' will march through Taipei Saturday to protest the upcoming visit to Taipei by China's top negotiator Chen Yunlin.

Chen is scheduled to visit Taiwan in early November to hold talks on expanding cross-strait exchanges, including opening direct sea and air links. If he comes, he will be the highest-ranking Chinese officials to visit Taiwan since 1949, when Taiwan and China split at the end of the Chinese Civil War.

The separatists are opposed to President Ma Ying-jeou's seeking peace with China, accusing him of sacrificing Taiwan's sovereignty to improve ties with China, which they said would eventually lead to Taiwan's unification with the mainland as a Chinese province. (dpa)