KMT chairman Wu Po-hsiung visiting Beijing

He left for Beijing yesterday for an eight-day visit yesterday. He is accompanied by three KMT vice chairmen, Lin Feng-cheng, Wu Den-yih and John Chiang.

Wu doubles as KMT secretary-general. Chiang is a former minister of foreign affairs and a veteran lawmaker.

Prior to departure, Wu said he wouldn't mention the Republic of China, if no mention is made in Beijing of the People's Republic.

“Should they refrain from mentioning the one China principle,” Wu told reporters at Taoyuan International Airport, “we won't venture to talk about the consensus of 1992.”

Under the unsigned agreement, both Taipei and Beijing are agreed there is but one China, whose connotation can be orally and individually expressed.

It's a modus vivendi that has made possible a brief detente between Taiwan and China in the 1990s. While in Beijing, Wu is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. Hu is president of the People's Republic, who doubles as general-secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.

They will finalize the venue and dates for the fifth KMT-CCP forum. The chances are that the conference will take place in mid-July.

Wu will visit the Guangdong-Guangxi House in Beijing, where Dr. Sun Yat-sen was elected chairman of the Kuomintang in 1912.

From Beijing Wu and his delegation will proceed to Hangzhou on May 29. He will visit the Manao Temple, where a museum in memory of Lien Heng is located.

Lien Heng, grandfather of Kuomintang honorary chairman Lien Chan, wrote the first comprehensive history of Taiwan in the 1920s.

On May 31, Wu will visit Nanjing, where he will pay homage to Dr. Sun at his mausoleum. He will also visit Chongqing to attend the “Taiwan Week” celebration by Taiwan businessmen in China.

Chongqing is a wartime capital of the Republic of China under Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. John Chiang is a grandson of the generalissimo.

Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, welcomed Wu and his delegation to Beijing. The delegation is expected to return to Taipei on June 3.

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