A senior Chinese mainland Taiwan affairs official on Wednesday
said the mainland "had noticed" media reports saying the former
pro-independence leader of the island, Lee Tung-hui, is looking
forward to visiting the mainland.
But Yang Yi, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council, would give no further comment at a press conference on the
mainland's attitude towards Lee's plan.
Senior Kuomintang official Wang Jin-pyng was also reported to be
planning a mainland visit after the Chinese Lunar New Year, which
falls on Feb. 18 this year. Wang is the president of the
"Legislative Yuan" of Taiwan, or the island's top legislature.
"We are willing to communicate with any individual or group from
Taiwan, as long as they uphold the 'one-China' principle, and
acknowledge the 1992 Consensus (agreement signed by both sides
saying they should seek common ground while reserving differences
under the prerequisite of recognizing there is only one China),"
Yang said, adding the mainland's attitude on the issue was
consistent and clear.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2007)