The mainland visit by the Kuomintang (KMT) delegation, led by KMT Vice-President Chiang Pin-kung, has been successful and will cast positive impacts on the promotion of cross-Straits economic exchanges and cooperation and the peaceful, steady development of the cross-Straits relations. Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made this remark Thursday in an interview with Xinhua on the current visit of the KMT delegation, on March 28-April 1.

Chen confirmed that CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao has officially invited KMT President Lien Chan to visit the mainland at a proper time for him, since Lien has expressed his hope to make the trip.

In a meeting with the KMT delegation Thursday, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, invited Lien to visit the mainland on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and Hu Jintao, according to Chen.

The official said that the mainland welcomes the visit of all party leaders of Taiwan including leaders of the Democratic Progressive Party, on condition that they agree with the "1992Consensus", oppose "Taiwan independence", and advocate the development of the cross-Straits relations.

In the last few days, the KMT delegation paid homage to the KMT martyrs' tomb, in Guangzhou, the Sun Yat-sen Tomb, in Nanjing, and the cenotaph of Sun Yat-sen, in Beijing. Jia Qinlin, the CPPCC leader, and State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan had meetings with the delegation.

During their stay, Chen's office and other central departments also held talks with the delegation, discussing 12 issues regarding the promotion of the cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation in economic and trade sectors.

Chen called Sun a great patriot and the great forerunner of the Chinese democratic revolution, who has made immortal contributions to the Chinese nation and won eternal respect and remembrance by the whole Chinese people.

Source: Xinhua