BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders of three major opposition parties in Taiwan expressed Saturday their deep condolences over the death of Wang Daohan, a renowned man for his contributions to promoting the relations across the Taiwan Straits.

    Wang, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS), died of disease in Shanghai Saturday morning at the age of 90.

    Wang had played an important role in promoting the cross-strait relations and made great contributions to the development of peaceful exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, said Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of the Chinese Kuomintang Party, in his message of condolence to the ARATS.

    The ARATS was founded in December 1991 when Wang took the presidency. In April 1993, Wang and Koo Chen-fu, chairman of the Taiwan-based Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF), held in Singapore the first ever high-level, non-governmental talks across the Straits.

    In October 1998, they held the second talks in Shanghai and reached a consensus on four points involving dialog across the Straits on political issues. The talks were known as the Wang-Koo meeting.

    "With his gentle, rational and innovative style, Mr. Wang had played a key role in enhancing peaceful exchanges and made outstanding contribution," said Ma.

    "Both the efforts and the contribution he made will be permanently admired by all circles of life and the people from the two sides will remember him forever," Lien Chan, honorary KMT chairman and James Soong, said in his message of condolence.

    James Soong, chairman of the Taiwan-based People First Party, expressed his appreciation and admiration of Wang's efforts for and contributions to the development of cross-strait relations while recalling his meeting with Wang in Shanghai in May.

    Yok Mu-ming, chairman of the Taiwan-based New Party, expressed his gratitude to Wang for opening the door to peace across the Taiwan Straits. Enditem