At the welcome dinner.
The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation held a welcome dinner on May 4 in Beijing for a Taiwan delegation that is touring the mainland on a nine-day visit.
Li Ning, Secretary-General of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation and Wu Yongqian, director of the Taiwan Harmony Foundation and head of the delegation, each gave speeches at the welcome dinner.
"In recent years, with continued improvements in cross-straits relations, we have developed deeper cooperation in the economic, scientific and cultural fields," Li Ning said. "The foundation for the development of cross-straits relations comes from the power between the people on both sides. I hope more Taiwan people come to the mainland and experience the great achievements of the mainland's economic development and flourishing culture."
Wu Yongqian said after Lien Chan's ice-breaking trip to the mainland and Ma Ying-jeou's successful election in Taiwan, both sides have been gradually moving towards a rational dialogue, sound exchanges and the establishment of mutual trust.
Wu also said as of this January, Taiwan businesspeople had invested a total of $112.5 billion on the mainland. Meanwhile, the number of mainland visitors to Taiwan exceeded 250,000 in March, the first time it was greater than the number of Taiwan people visiting the mainland, which was 230,000 during the same period.
On May 4, the Taiwan delegation began its tour of different cities, including Tianjin, Qinhuangdao and Tangshan, for exchange activities.
Wu Yongqian, director of the Taiwan Harmony Foundation makes a speech at the welcome dinner.
Li Ning, Secretary-General of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation makes a speech at the welcome dinner.
