A small Taiwan party in favour of unification with China plans to visit the mainland in July, becoming the third opposition group to visit the mainland this year, its chairman said on Wednesday. Beijing, which claims the island as its own, has sought to isolate pro-independence Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian by engaging the more conciliatory opposition parties.
The visit by New Party Chairman Yok Mu-ming follows the historic trips to the mainland by Taiwan opposition party leaders Lien Chan of the Kuomintang (KMT), or Nationalist Party, and James Soong of the People First Party (PFP).
While the KMT and PFP oppose Taiwan independence and favour closer ties with China, the New Party is the island's sole vocal advocate of unification. It has only a single seat in Taiwan's legislature, however.
Taiwan and China have been estranged since a civil war ended in 1949. Beijing considers the self-ruled island part of Chinese territory and has vowed to bring it back to the fold, by force if necessary.
"As a member of the Chinese nation, the trip aims to communicate and exchange with the mainland," Yok told a news conference.
The 30-member delegation will visit Guangzhou, Nanjing, Dalian and Beijing between July 6 and 13. "We will arrange a full courteous reception to the delegation," China's official Xinhua news agency quoted Li Weiyi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office, as saying.