Chiang Pin-kung's epigraphy "Ice-breaking Tour" (Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/sina)

Director of the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, Chen Yunlin, and the visiting delegation of the Kuomintang have held a meeting on cross-Straits common development.(Photo: sina) 

The mainland visit by officials from Taiwan's Kuomintang party is the first sign of a dialogue between the KMT and the Communist Party of China, Chen Yunlin, director of the CPC Central Committee's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in Beijing yesterday.
Chen hosted a welcome banquet for the group, led by KMT Vice President Chiang Pin-kung.
Chen praised Chiang's visit for honoring Chinese heroes at a time when "compatriots across the strait are longing for common development and prosperity."
After the banquet, Chen and officials in charge of the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Administration for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine, and the General Administration of Customs held talks with the KMT delegation on cross-Strait economic and trade issues.
Chen told the KMT delegation that it is the consistent stance for the mainland to go all out for promoting cross-Strait economic exchanges and cooperation.
It is compatible to the common interest of the compatriots on both sides and helpful for the economic development of Taiwan to strengthen cross-Strait economic cooperation, he said.
Chen called the sustained development of the cross-Strait economic and trade relations "an important factor of peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits area."
He urged the "flesh and bone" compatriots of the two sides to join hands in creating a bright future for the improvement and development of the cross-Strait relations.
Chiang said that the cross-Strait economic and trade ties could be helpful for easing the tension across the Straits, resolving the contradiction between the two sides, be up to the aspiration of the people of the two sides, and be helpful for enhancing the competitiveness of Taiwan's economy.
The two sides discussed a wide range of issues including the regularization of air flights between the two sides; cross-Strait cooperation on agricultural sector, the sale of Taiwan's farm produce on the mainland, the mainland's labor exports to Taiwan's fishing industry; cooperation between tertiary sectors of the two sides, including banks, insurance companies, shipping firms and medical service; and protection of the interests of Taiwan investors.
The Beijing stop is the final leg of the KMT's first official tour of the Chinese mainland since 1949.