(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-05-27 22:11

BEIJING - Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung arrived in Beijing, the second stop of his six-day mainland trip, on Tuesday afternoon.

Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (L) gestures as he thanks members of  welcoming ceremony after he arrived at Beijing International Airport May 27, 2008. [Agencies]

He was welcomed at the Beijing Capital International Airport by Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Zheng Lizhong, executive deputy director of the office, and Wang Anshun, CPC Beijing Municipal Committee deputy secretary.

In his speech at the airport, Wu said that the five common aspirations for peace and development across the Taiwan Straits jointly issued by leaders of the two parties three years ago have been included in KMT's program. The KMT must shoulder its responsibility for people of the two sides.

He said this visit has very important significance. "As new opportunities appear across the Straits, we should not waste these opportunities but instead make continuous efforts for positive interaction."

He wished the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games a great success.

In a welcoming speech, Chen Yunlin said that as relations between the mainland and Taiwan face precious historic opportunities, Wu's visit has drawn closer relations between compatriots living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits and once again has attracted Chinese all over the world to focus on the process of peaceful development in the cross-Straits relations.

The CPC official also recalled former KMT Chairman Lien Chan's mainland visit three years ago and the historic meetings and talks between leaders of the two parties. He said they resulted in the publication of five common aspirations for peace and development across the Straits, making clear the general orientation for the development of the cross-Straits relations.

Over the past three years, Chen said, the two parties had followed the essence of the five aspirations and worked for the welfare of the people living on the two sides of the Straits and for peace across the Straits.

He called Wu a time-tested and experienced political leader in Taiwan's political arena and a constant major proponent of peaceful development of relations across the Straits.

Chen spoke highly of Wu's mainland visit, shortly following the KMT's recovery of power, saying it is a sufficient symbol of and reflection that "the two parties are willing to shoulder the major historic task entrusted by people of the two sides to jointly create a great future for our nationality".

Chen said: "We expect and firmly believe that the correct history should and will surely be able to go on and our fine wishes will be realized eventually".