BEIJING, April 15 -- Lien Chan, chairman of Taiwan's main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, is expected to lead a delegation to make an historic visit to the Chinese mainland starting from April 30, KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen said on Thursday. 

KMT chairman. [file]

    Lien is expected to meet Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Beijing during his week-long peace trip. A joint press conference after the meeting is also being arranged, chinataiwan.org reported Friday, quoting Taiwan media reports.

    Lien will leave for the mainland on April 30 and is expected to receive the "highest treatment" from Beijing.

    Lien will also visit Nanjing, Shanghai and Xi'an, the spokeswoman said.

    However, Lin Feng-cheng, KMT secretary general, said on Friday the reports are mere speculations. As for when Lien's mainland trip would be finalized, he said it could happen at the end of April, mid-May or late May.

    Lin Feng-cheng and KMT spokesman Chang Jung-kung returned from a visit to the mainland late Thursday to prepare for the trip. They were in the mainland to prepare for Lien's trip and would report their meetings with mainland officials to Lien.

    Beijing early in April extended an invitation to Lien while a KMT delegation, led by vice chairman P.K. Chiang, was on the first "bridge-building" trip to the mainland in more than 55 years.

    Beijing said Wednesday it expects Lien Chan's planned mainland visit to help improve cross-Straits ties despite Taiwan authorities setting up hurdles to block bilateral exchanges.

    "We believe Chairman Lien's visit will be conducive to improving and developing cross-Straits relations," said Li Weiyi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

    His comments at a regular press conference signalled the mainland's latest efforts to push for dialogue with Taiwan's opposition parties.

    Beijing has so far refused to talk with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which enshrines "independence" in its party platform and rejects the one-China principle that both Taiwan and the mainland belong to one and the same China.

    Jia Qinglin, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, officially invited Lien to visit the mainland on March 31.

    Lien accepted the invitation, which came during the KMT's first official mainland visit in 56 years between March 28 and April 1. But he has yet to timetable his visit.

    Li stressed that the mainland is willing to negotiate with any Taiwanese parties and organizations which uphold the "1992 consensus" and oppose Taiwan "independence."

    The "1992 consensus" refers to an informal agreement which commits both sides of the Straits to adhering to the one-China principle.

    (Source: chinadaily.com.cn)