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Last Updated 05/05/2005, 17:11:43
The leader of Taiwan's opposition People First Party, James Soong, has flown to China for a visit aimed at easing tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
A senior Chinese official, Wang Zaixi, says he hopes the visit will help promote cross-strait relations.
Mr Soong, 63, is the second senior Taiwan opposition figure to accept an invitation from the Chinese president, Hu Jintao, to travel to the mainland.
On Tuesday, the leader of Taiwan's Kuomintang party, Lien Chan, returned from the highest-level visit to China by a Taiwanese politician in 56 years.
Mr Soong says his nine-day trip is an attempt to promote understanding and push for reconciliation.
Taiwan's president Chen Shui-bian, has given his backing to the visit, which will take Mr Soong to the cities of Xian, Nanjing, Xiangtan, Shanghai and the capital, Beijing.
Earlier this week, Mr Chen said he hoped the opposition visits could pave the way for direct government-to-government talks in the future.
Taiwanese president heads home
Mr Chen, meanwhile, is returning home from a five-day tour of the Pacific which has included a surprise visit to China's ally, Fiji.
The Taiwanese president, who has been touring Taiwan's Pacific allies Marshall islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu, made an unscheduled stop in Fiji on Wednesday.
The AFP newsagency reports China has strongly opposed the visit.
The trip has raised speculation that Taiwan may be planning to establish diplomatic relations with Fiji, which has ties with Beijing.
However, a foreign ministry spokesman in Taipei says Fiji was merely a convenient transit stop.
Only 25 countries, mostly developing countries in Africa, Latin America and the Pacific, recognise Taipei rather than Beijing.
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发表于 2005-5-5 17:04
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