Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) yesterday accepted an invitation from Chinese President Hu Jintao (胡錦濤) to visit China to initiate a new round of party-to-party negotiations after Tuesday’s transfer of power.
Wu, who would be the first ruling party chairman to visit China, will arrive in Nanjing on May 26, meet Hu in Beijing and visit Taiwanese business groups in Shanghai before returning to Taiwan on May 31.
KMT Secretary-General Wu Den-yi (吳敦義) said the chairman felt Hu was sincere in wanting to improve cross-strait relations and accepted the invitation to seek increased exchanges, which would help president-elect Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) carry out his campaign platform.
“The invitation reflected the mainland’s attachment of growing importance to Taiwan’s new political situation and cross-strait developments after Mr Ma’s inauguration on May 20,” Wu Den-yi told a press conference yesterday at KMT headquarters.
Wu Den-yi unveiled details of the KMT chairman’s trip after China’s Xinhua news agency reported yesterday that Hu had sent the invitation to Wu Poh-hsiung.
Future talks between Taiwan’s Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and China’s Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), the implementation of cross-strait direct charter flights and opening up of Taiwan to Chinese tourists will be on the agenda during the trip, Wu Den-yi said.
Wu Den-yi said the Wu-Hu talks would proceed on the basis of mutual trust with the goal of a win-win situation for both.
About 25 party officials and staff will join Wu Poh-hsiung during the trip and the team will also discuss ways to assist China with reconstruction in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake, Wu Den-yi said.
The KMT chairman’s plan to visit China was confirmed following former KMT chairman Lien Chan’s (連戰) meeting with Hu last month.
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