Top Taiwan official Lien Chan to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing
Lien Chan's four-day visit to Beijing is seen as a major initiative in which both sides will set the tone for cross-strait links over the next decade
The honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang party, Lien Chan, arrived yesterday in Beijing for what analysts say is a hugely significant trip that may shed light on policy direction in cross-strait relations for the next decade under the new Communist Party leadership.
Lien meets new Communist Party leader Xi Jinping today in the highest-level cross-straits meeting since Xi took office in November. Xi is expected to touch on his policy points towards the island.
Speculation is rife in Taiwan media that Xi, who is poised to become president in March, might propose strengthening co-operation between Taipei and Beijing in exploiting maritime resources in the disputed waters of the East China Sea and South China Sea.
Lien, however, declined to go into detail about his scheduled meeting with Xi before leaving Taipei last night.
"The purpose of my visit is very simple - just to exchange views with friends from various sectors, reviewing the past and looking forward to the future," Lien said of his four-day visit.
Lien's delegation consists of more than 30 politicians and business leaders, including Terry Guo Tai-ming, founder of electronics manufacturer Foxconn, and Lien's son, Sean Lien, seen as a potential future Taipei mayor.