Taiwan urges reconciliation as China butts in on memorial

A woman prays after placing lilies on a monument during a memorial for the 70th anniversary of the 228 Incident in Taipei, Taiwan February 28, 2017. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's president urged truthful reconciliation on Tuesday on the 70th anniversary of an uprising against Nationalist troops that has galvanised independence supporters, an event China is seeking to co-opt to oppose independence.

The "228 Incident", as it is known in Taiwan, has in recent years become a rallying point for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which favours formal independence for the democratic, self-ruled island China claims at its own.