Taiwan's Kuomintang (KMT) yesterday officially filed an
application for Beijing's top official on cross-Straits affairs to
visit the island next month.
The China News Agency (CNS) reported that the application was
submitted to Taiwan's "immigration authorities" by the KMT think
tank, "National Foundation for Policy Research."
The application covers a 66-member delegation led by Chen
Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party
of China (CPC) Central Committee.
Chen, also minister of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, was has been invited by the KMT to attend a planned
cross-Straits agriculture forum in Taipei from October 22 to
23.
If approved, he would be the highest-ranking mainland official
to visit the island since 1949.
The CNS report said the mainland delegation consists of
government officials, heads of relevant trade associations and
agricultural firms, and experts on cross-Straits studies.
Among the mainland participants are representatives from some of
the largest trade and agricultural firms such as the All-China
Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, and fruit
companies from Shanghai, Changchun and Wuhan.
The KMT think tank yesterday also published the schedule for the
high-profile event.
According to schedule, the mainland delegation will visit
Taiwan's central and southern regions on October 24 and 25 before
returning to the mainland on October 26.
The KMT think tank has urged Taiwan's ruling Democratic
Progressive Party (DPP) administration to facilitate Chen's visit,
which would introduce a new era of cross-Straits relations.
In a related development, Zheng Lizhong, executive vice-minister
of the Taiwan Affairs Office, yesterday met with a delegation of
Taiwan's Federation of Industries headed by Chairman Preston W.
Chen.
Zheng encouraged more Taiwan entrepreneurs to invest in the
mainland to help promote closer cross-Straits economic
cooperation.
(China Daily August 22, 2006)