A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation traveling to Beijing for a think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party would focus on advocating for Taiwanese companies and advancing peace, KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said today.
"The KMT wants to be a voice for Taiwan's industry, a protector of everyday people and a maker of cross-strait peace," Hsiao told reporters before his departure from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
The main focus of the trip would be a full-day think tank forum tomorrow, said Hsiao, who is leading a delegation of 40 experts and academics, along with Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源), deputy chair of the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation.
Photo: Chen Yi-kuan, Taipei Times
The delegation would also attend a dinner hosted by China's Taiwan Affairs Office tonight, and visit Tsinghua University on Wednesday before returning to Taiwan, Hsiao said.
Asked about KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's (鄭麗文) recent comment that Taiwan and China are "family," Hsiao said that he agreed with her, though the two sides have yet to resolve their political divisions.
However, the KMT delegation's visit to China would not focus on political issues, Hsiao said.
Instead, the members of the delegation, who are "experts and academics in professional fields," would hold discussions with their Chinese counterparts in areas such as tourism, precision machinery, energy and disaster prevention, he said.
On the question of whether the delegation would engage in meetings with Chinese officials, Hsiao said that as guests, they would go along with the arrangements of their hosts.
Most members of the delegation are not KMT members, but rather "academics and experts" across a range of professional fields in which Taiwan "needs to make a breakthrough," Lee said.
"Taiwan has many strong and weak points, as does China, and there are many areas where we can complement each other," Lee said.
Through this kind of positive exchange, "we hope not only to bring a little business to Taiwanese companies, but more importantly, to foster mutual understanding, reduce divisions and slowly create a more peaceful atmosphere," Lee added.
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