Tens of thousands of slogan-chanting Taiwanese took to the streets to protest rival China's military threats against the island.
"The great Taiwanese people oppose annexation and invasion. We protect democracy and care for Taiwan... and say no to China," President Chen Shui-bian told the rally organized by his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
"Taiwan is an independent sovereign state. It belongs to the 23 million people on the island and its future should be decided by the people here rather than by the 1.3 billion people in China," Chen added.
The DPP said the rally was intended to highlight the increasing threat from China, which has some 780 ballistic missiles targeting Taiwan.
The protestors, estimated at 150,000 by the organizers, shouted slogans such as "Loving Taiwan, opposing annexation!" and "Loving peace, opposing missiles!".
"We oppose ultimate unification as the sole option for Taiwan people as it runs against the principle of democracy," Chen said.
He also pledged to lead "Taiwan to walk the right and its own road" while saying the road may be bumpy.
