Former vice-premier leaves for Taiwan tour

BEIJING - Zeng Peiyan, chairman of the Council of the Zijinshan Summit for Entrepreneurs across the Taiwan Strait, left for a five-day visit to Taiwan on Wednesday, a mainland spokeswoman said.

High-level dialogues on deepening economic cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan will top the tour agenda, said Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a regular press conference.

Zeng, who was elected chairman of the Council at the Zijinshan Summit held in September 2012 in Nanjing, is making the visit at the invitation of the Taiwan-based Cross-Straits Common Market Foundation.

The dialogues are expected to feature discussions on how to make the summit a regular event through systematic arrangements and ways to mobilize more entrepreneurs to help with the peaceful development of cross-Straits ties, according to Fan.

Zeng will exchange opinions with the heads of Taiwan's industrial and commercial associations, as well as entrepreneurs involved in such associations, Fan said.