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Kuomintang leader arrives in Beijing for visit
A delegation of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) from Taiwan arrived in Beijing Wednesday afternoon. This is the first Chinese KMT delegation to visit Beijing in 56 years. The delegation, led by the Chinese KMT vice-president Chiang Pin-kung, will meet senior officials from the Communist Party of China before the end of their trip on Friday. The delegation of more then 30 members arrived in the southern city of Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland on March 28 to began its mainland tour.
KMT delegation pays homage to Dr. Sun Yat-sen The delegation paid homage at the mausoleum of their party founder Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the capital of east China's Jiangsu Province. Chiang Pin-kung and other KMT members arrived at the imposing mausoleum at about 8:40 a.m. to the enthusiastic applause of local Nanjing residents and visitors around. Chiang and other KMT members waved to crowds in acknowledgment. Nanjing resident Li Guomin at the site said it is a "good thing" that KMT delegation paid respects to Dr. Sun Yat-sen at his mausoleum with an aim to seek peace and exchanges across the Taiwan Straits. A solemn memorial ceremony was held at 9 a.m. in the mausoleum with Chiang and his 30-member entourage around.
Hai Chong-tian, vice president of the Nanjing-based Taiwan Businessmen Association, read out a commemorative article to eulogize Dr. Sun Yat-sen, who passed away in Beijing in 1925 and was subsequently buried in the Nanjing-based mausoleum four years later. Chiang said at the end of the ceremony that he was "very excited" as he was able to see "universal fraternity" and "the world for all" in Dr. Sun's personal calligraphy for the first time. "People across the Taiwan Straits should learn from Dr. Sun Yat-sen and join hands to create a win-win situation," said Chiang. Chiang also highlighted the urgency and importance of materializing the cross-straits "three direct links" in trade, transport and mail service as soon as possible. Chiang and his peers also toured the former venue of Dr. Sun's office, where Chiang left an epigraph calling the visit "an ice-breaking trip."
Chiang: Taiwan people seek peace People from both sides of the Taiwan Straits will benefit from closer economic ties, Chiang said Tuesday in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province. Chiang said Taiwan businesses and investors in the mainland will help the economic development in the Yangtze River Delta. Li Yuanchao, secretary of Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), said during his meeting with Chiang that the local government will continue to provide quality services to Taiwan businessmen and protect their interests. During a trip to Guangzhou earlier Tuesday, Chiang reiterated that most Taiwanese people seek long-term peace, stability and development. He said he hoped his ongoing mainland trip will bring the views of Taiwanese citizens to the mainland and enhance mutual understanding. "KMT always seeks to solve cross-Straits issues through dialogue and negotiations," Chiang told reporters in Guangzhou yesterday morning, after he visited the Huanghuagang 72-Martyrs Cemetery in downtown Guangzhou.
On behalf of KMT Chairman Lien Chan and all the KMT party members, Chiang paid homage to the martyrs who were slain during the Huanghuagang Uprising in Guangzhou in 1911. "I feel a bit sad while cherishing the memory of the KMT martyrs," said Chiang. Chiang and his wife laid wreaths at the tombs and watered a 101-year-old pine tree that was planted by Dr Sun Yat-sen, the founder and premier of the KMT. Dr Sun Yat-sen died in 1925 at the age of 59. Chiang and his delegation received a warm welcome from Taiwanese investors in Guangdong as well as from local residents while he was visiting the commemoration park. Many Taiwanese investors are expecting Chiang's mainland trip to help ease current cross-Straits tension. Frank Tsai, executive director of Airmate Electrical (Shenzhen) Co Ltd, said many Taiwanese investors are hoping Chiang's mainland visit will contribute to a further improvement in cross-Straits relations, benefiting many Taiwanese investors on the mainland. Tsai urged Taiwan leader Chen Shui-bian to give up his "independence" activities. "As a leader of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian should focus his efforts on boosting economic development and trying to ensure Taiwanese people live better lives, instead of frequently challenging the mainland's bottom line," Tsai told China Daily yesterday. Chiang promised he would try to help Taiwan investors overcome their difficulties while doing business on the mainland. Guangdong Province has attracted the largest number of Taiwanese investors in the country. The province, the home of Dr Sun Yat-sen, has registered about 300,000 Taiwanese investors and their families. Guangdong has seen more than 18,440 Taiwan-funded projects with a total investment of more than US$35.6 billion. |
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