The Red Corp--a group of Chinese hackers--had threatened to break into the Web sites of Taiwanese government agencies from May 1 to 11, reported Taiwan's Central News Agency.

The hacker action stems from a planned demonstration where Taiwanese protesters are expected reassert the country's independence by calling for the island-state to be officially named Taiwan as opposed to the Republic of China.

The issue of Taiwan's sovereignty is a longstanding debate which has led to political tension between the two countries. China views the state as a renegade province of the mainland, while Taiwan has always seen itself as an independent nation.

Although the hackers were said to have backed off after the demonstration was canned in light of the SARS (Secure Acute Respiratory Syndrome) outbreak, the Taiwanese government has chosen to remain vigilant.

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