Lien Chan said here Tuesday afternoon he believes his visit to the mainland will be a "historic first step" for the promotion of cross-Straits relations. (Photo: Xinhua)

    Lien Chan said in Nanjing on April 26 that he believes his visit to the mainland will be a "historic first step" for the promotion of cross-Straits relations.

    "Nanjing is not far away from Taipei in space, but it has taken more than 60 years for us to revisit this city," said Lien, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) Party of China, upon his arrival in Nanjing.

    "This visit has been too late, but we finally took the first historic step," he said in a brief speech at the airport.

    He said how to build a "win-win future of mutual benefit and peace" across the Taiwan Straits is "the common concern of us all"and "we're ready to do all we can for peace and stability across the Straits."

    Lien, at the invitation of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and General Secretary Hu Jintao, led a KMT delegation to visit the mainland cities of Nanjing, Beijing, Xi'anand Shanghai from April 26 to May 3.

    He said Nanjing is a place with "historical and emotional links" to the KMT. The city, once the seat of the KMT government, is where the mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen, founder of the KMT party, is located.

    "Paying the highest tribute to Mr. Sun is the common aspirations and expectations of all members of my delegation. Thistrip is truly valuable," said Lien. Enditem

    Recent major events across the Taiwan Straits

    The following are major eventsacross the Taiwan Straits since Chen Shui-bian was reelected

    Taiwan leader in May 2004.

    May 17, 2004 - The Office for Taiwan Affairs under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs

    Office of the State Council issued a statement on cross-Straits relations, urging the Taiwan authorities to recognize that there is only one China in the world and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to the one and same China, to abandon the "Taiwan Independence" stance and to stop separatist activities.

    Jan. 29, 2005 - Civil aircraft of the Chinese mainland and Taiwan took off from Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Taipei respectively, kicking off the first charter flights across the Taiwan Straits in 56 years. The three-week scheme offered 48 non-stop, round-trip flights exclusively for Taiwan business people working on the mainland and their families during the traditional Chinese New Year.

    March 4, 2005 - Chinese President Hu Jintao set forth a four-point guideline on cross-Straits relations under new circumstances-- first, never sway in adhering to the one-China principle;

    second, never give up efforts to seek peaceful reunification;

    third, never change the principle of placing hope on the Taiwan people;

    and fourth, never compromise in opposing secessionist activities aimed at "Taiwan independence."

    March 14, 2005 - China's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), ratified the Anti-Secession Law with an overwhelming vote of 2,896 to nil, setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan's secession from China and to promote peaceful national reunification.

    March 28, 2005 - A delegation led by Kuomintang Vice President Chiang Pin-kung arrived in Guangzhou on the first leg of an "icebreaking trip" to the mainland. The delegation visited the "Huanghuagang" martyrs' cemetery in Guangzhou and the mausoleum of the Kuomintang's founding father Sun Yat-sen in Nanjing before they arrived in Beijing on March 30.

    April 26, 2005 - Lien Chan, chairman of the Kuomintang party,arrived in Nanjing, once the capital of the Kuomintang regime in east China's Jiangsu Province, on the first leg of an eight-day visit to the mainland. Lien and his delegation will also visit Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai.