Taipei  - Taiwan treated 350 foreign tourists to free massage Sunday as part of its campaign to promote "health tourism."

The tourists, seated in chairs at the National Taiwan University gymnasium, received 40-minute massages on their hands, shoulders and backs by 350 blind masseurs.

Some tourists screamed in pain while other giggled and laughed as the masseurs squeezed their muscles and exerted pressure on nerve points.

It was the second time the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has arranged a free massage event for foreign tourists.

Taipei  - Taiwan and China held talks Saturday to prepare for an upcoming dialogue to promote cross-strait links.

Several documents are to be drafted at the talks that are to be signet at a summit to be held in late May in Nanjing, China. It would be the fourth Taipei-Beijing dialogue since 1993 and the third since President Ma Ying-jeou took office in May.

Taipei  - China's senior envoy to Taiwan, Zheng Lizhong, led a group of negotiators to the island Friday for preparatory talks to set the stage for the third cross-strait summit planned later this month.

Zheng, vice chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and his 20-member delegation were whisked to Taipei from Taoyuan International Airport amid a protest by a small group of pro-independence activists.

Taipei - China's senior envoy to Taiwan, Zheng Lizhong, led a group of negotiators to the island Friday for preparatory talks to set the stage for the third cross-strait summit planned later this month.

Zheng, vice chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) and his 20-member delegation were whisked to Taipei from Taoyuan International Airport amid a protest by a small group of pro-independence activists.

Taipei - Taiwan prosecutors Friday arrested five prison guards and three brokers for allegedly smuggling in forbidden items in return for payments by inmates.

"We are seeking the district court's approval for the detention of the eight for alleged corruption," said district prosecutor Chen Hsin-hung.

Taipei - Taiwan stocks plunged more than 4 per cent Friday due to profit-taki