KMT chairwoman kicks off mainland visit

The head of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party, Cheng Li-wun, arrived in Shanghai on Tuesday for a visit to the mainland. This is the first time in a decade that a KMT chairperson has led a delegation to the Chinese mainland. During the visit that will run through Sunday, the delegation is scheduled to visit Jiangsu province, Shanghai and Beijing. According to media reports, Cheng is expected to meet Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Friday. "The visit is regarded as an important part of the exchanges and dialogue between the KMT and the Communist Party of China under the new circumstances," Xinhua News Agency reported. Xinhua also quoted a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office as saying strengthening exchanges and dialogue between the two parties will have a significant and positive impact on maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and promoting the peaceful development of cross-strait relations. Edited by Edmond Fong