KMT Chairman Lien Chan and his wife pose for pictures in front of an ancient tree in the Forbidden City in Beijing yesterday. Lien will meet Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, this afternoon. (Photo: Xinhua)

President Hu Jintao said yesterday that he is looking forward to meeting with Kuomintang leader Lien Chan in Beijing today.
In a speech delivered in Manila, Hu said the Taiwan issue is closely connected to China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Realizing a complete unification of the motherland is the "ardent aspiration and sacred mission" of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, and a common desire of all overseas Chinese, Hu said.
He called Lien's ongoing mainland visit a significant event in the history of relations between the Communist Party of China and the KMT. It is also a major development in light of current relations across the strait, he said.
Lien's trip to the mainland, which began in Nanjing on Tuesday, is the first by a KMT leader since the party lost the Chinese civil war and fled to Taiwan in 1949.
Jia Qinglin, a senior official with the Communist Party of China, met with Lien in Beijing yesterday.
Jia, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, extended a warm welcome to Lien and his entourage, and spoke highly of KMT's endorsement of the "1992 consensus," opposition to "Taiwan independence" and promotion of the development of cross-strait relations.
"We also highly appreciate KMT's efforts in safeguarding and striving for the welfare of Taiwan compatriots and its pursuit of peace and stability across the strait," said Jia.
Jia said the scheduled talks between Hu, who is also CPC general secretary, and Lien today "will be of major historic and practical significance."
According to Jia, Hu and Lien will exchange views on major issues concerning the improvement and development of cross-strait relations, as well as party-to-party exchanges between the CPC and KMT in an "extensive, in-depth and candid manner."
Jia recalled that during his meeting with KMT Vice-Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, who headed the first KMT delegation in 56 years to visit the mainland in March, he cited a poem by the renowned writer Lu Xun (1881-1936) to describe Lien's planned visit.
"Brothers are still brothers despite all the quarrels and fights that have occurred between them, and their hatred toward each other will be dispersed with one smile when they meet again," Jia said in quoting Lu.
"I am looking forward to what was written in the poem coming true in the relationship between the KMT and the CPC, marked by a handshake between Hu and Lien," he said.
Lien said in Beijing yesterday,"It is the mission of all of us to shoulder the irresistible trend of public opinion to build a peaceful and win-win future through reconciliation and dialogue."
Lien will also visit Xi'an and Shanghai before leaving on Tuesday.