KMT will act as Taiwan industry advocate, peacemaker on Beijing trip: Hsiao

Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) A Kuomintang (KMT) delegation traveling to Beijing for a think tank exchange with the Chinese Communist Party will focus on advocating for Taiwanese companies and advancing peace, KMT Vice Chairman Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑) said Monday.

"The KMT wants to be a voice for Taiwan's industry, a protector of everyday people, and a maker of cross-strait peace," Hsiao told reporters before his departure from Taoyuan Airport.

The main focus of the trip will be a full-day think tank forum on Tuesday, according to Hsiao, who is leading a delegation that comprises 40 experts and scholars, along with Lee Hong-yuan (李鴻源), deputy chair of the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation.

The delegation will also attend a dinner hosted by China's Taiwan Affairs Office on Monday evening, and visit Tsinghua University on Wednesday before returning to Taiwan, Hsiao said.

Asked about KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun's (鄭麗文) recent comment that Taiwan and mainland China are "family," Hsiao said he agreed with her, though the sides have yet to resolve their political divisions.

The KMT delegation's current visit to China, however, will not be focused on political issues, Hsiao said.

Instead, the members of the delegation, who are "experts and scholars in professional fields," will hold discussions with their Chinese counterparts in areas such as tourism, precision machinery, energy, and disaster prevention, he said.

On the question of whether the delegation would engage in meetings with Chinese officials, Hsiao said that as guests, they would go along with the arrangements of their hosts.

Lee, meanwhile, said that most members of the delegation were not KMT members, but rather "scholars and experts" across a range of professional fields in which Taiwan "needs to make a breakthrough."

"Taiwan has many strong and weak points, as does China, and there are many areas where we can complement each other," Lee said.

Through this kind of positive exchange, "we hope not only to bring a little business to Taiwanese companies, but more importantly, to foster mutual understanding, reduce divisions, and slowly create a more peaceful atmosphere," Lee added.