The Kuomintang (KMT) delegation led by its Vice President Chiang Pin-kung left Beijing for Taiwan yesterday after its first visit to the Chinese mainland in 56 years.
The delegation was seen off at the Beijing airport by Li Bingcai, deputy director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Long Xinmin, deputy secretary of the CPC Municipal Committee of Beijing.
Chiang called his visit an "ice-breaking, bridge-building" journey and said he was "very much satisfied" with the results of the tour. He expressed his gratitude for the warm reception of the mainland officials and residents.
During its stay, the delegation visited the KMT martyrs' tomb in Guangzhou, the Sun Yat-sen Tomb in Nanjing, and the Cenotaph of Sun Yat-sen in Beijing.
"By recalling the merits of the revolutionary forerunner, I feel that Mr Sun Yat-sen's spirit is worth memorizing for all the Chinese people," Chiang said.
The KMT delegates also met with Jia Qinglin, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), State Councilor Tang Jiaxuan, and Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the CPC Central Committee.
The visitors also spoke with investors from Taiwan. Chiang said his delegation realized that these business people have contributed to the mainland's prosperity.
In the talks, Chiang asked Taiwan businessmen to abide by mainland laws while doing business on the mainland.
Also yesterday, Chen Yunlin said that Chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, James Soong, is welcome to visit the mainland at a proper time.
The Taiwan work official made the remarks yesterday in an interview with the TVBS, a Taiwan-based television.
In meeting with the visiting Kuomintang delegation, CPC leader Jia Qinglin invited all party leaders in Taiwan to visit the mainland, if they adhere to the one-China principle, recognize the 1992 Consensus and oppose "Taiwan independence."
Jia said that Soong is among the welcome because he has always opposed "Taiwan independence," recognized the 1992 Consensus and supported the development of cross-strait relations, said Chen.
The official said that mainland officials will implement a 12-item agreement reached by the mainland and the visiting KMT delegation during their talks.