Monday, March 28, 2005
Kuomintang reinvades the mainland
Jax
Taiwan's main opposition party has begun its first visit to China since Communist forces defeated it and took power on the mainland in 1949.
The 30-member team of the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) is being led by vice chairman Chiang Pink-kun.
Mr Chiang said the visit was aimed at easing tensions with Beijing.
China sees Taiwan as a breakaway province. Earlier this month, Beijing passed a law, allowing it use force to stop any Taiwanese independence moves.
"We hope to help ease cross-strait tensions to ensure people's well-being," said Mr Chiang, on arrival. "[We hope] to do what the government does not do and cannot do."
He said earlier: "We oppose Taiwan independence. We advocate peace across the Strait and oppose the mainland using force."
The delegation will go to the southern city of Guangzhou to visit the graves of dozens of KMT members who died during an uprising against the Qing Dynasty in 1911.
The Taiwanese officials will also visit the grave of the party founder, Sun Yat-Sen, in Nanjing.
They will wind up their five-day trip in Beijing, where they are likely to meet the head of the National People's Congress, Jia Qinglin, Taiwan's China Times newspaper reports.
It said the issue of KMT leader Lien Chan's visit to China would be discussed during the meeting. (Link)
