Taiwan signed a joint communique with Honduras yesterday afternoon to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperative programs. President Chen Shui-bian signed the communique with Honduras President Manuel Zelaya Rosales, who visited Taiwan to attend Tuesday's Double Ten National Day ceremony.

There was one small delay in the signing. The fountain pen prepared by the Presidential Office did not seem to interest Zelaya, who asked for another pen. The replacement, a ball-point pen, however, refused to function. Zelaya ended up taking his own pen from inside his jacket to sign the document.

Chen later held a 21-gun salute and military ceremony in front of the Presidential Office to bid Zelaya farewell. First lady Wu Shu-jen attended the event.

A group from Pintung County that was touring the Presidential Office building yesterday morning was invited to watch the ceremony. The 40 or so visitors, who were cordoned off 100m away from Chen and his guests, waved flags and chanted "President, jiayou [an expression of encouragement]."

Chen stopped briefly to wave back to the crowd before returning to the building. One of the visitors, who refused to be identified, called on the "red army" -- followers of former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairman Shih Ming-teh , who initiated the anti-Chen campaign -- to stop creating unrest.

"Taiwan cannot afford more turmoil," he said. "Foreign tourists might think there is a riot here and think twice before coming."

Given the disturbances that occurred during Tuesday's official ceremony, security personnel around the Presidential Office were on high alert yesterday. A middle-aged red-clad woman tried to enter the restricted area but was asked to leave. She flashed the thumbs down gesture used by the anti-Chen supporters before departing.

Meanwhile, Vice President Annette Lu yesterday called on the public to value hard-earned democratic achievements. "The president and I have been through the authoritarian period and fully respect freedom of speech," she said. "Although some people caused trouble on national day to humiliate national leaders, we do what we can to let them express their opinions."