BEIJING - The president of the Chinese mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), Chen Deming, will visit Taiwan this year, a spokesman said Wednesday.

Chen's trip will include seeing Taiwan's agriculture, bio-technologies, green tourism and volunteers' groups, said Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, at a press conference.

The visit is part of the annual plan of exchanges between the ARATS and Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation, he said.

His visit is expected to expand the platform for cross-Strait cooperation, he added.