ARATS chief arrives in Taiwan on historic visit

海峡两岸关系协会会长陈云林率海协会协商代表团，于３日中午１１时４５分许乘国航包机抵达台北桃园机场。

　　The Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) chief Chen Yunlin arrived in Taipei on Monday at the start of a five-day historic visit to Taiwan.

　　Chen's visit marks the first ever meeting between leaders of the ARATS and Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taiwan.

　　On Tuesday morning, Chen is expected to hold talks with SEF chairman Chiang Pin-kung, the second meeting between them in less than six months.

　　They are to discuss cross-strait direct shipping, air transport, postal services, food safety and tourism, Chen said in a written speech after landing at the Taoyuan International Airport.

　　The two organizations would also host seminars for experts to exchange views on financial cooperation to withstand the international financial crisis, he said.

　　Chen said he believed that to solve differences through consultations, to replace confrontation with cooperation, to promote interaction between ARATS and SEF and to seek win-win relations across the strait will gain the support of the majority of the Taiwan compatriots.

　　He said both the Chinese mainland and Taiwan are facing grim economic challenges given the financial crisis and slow-down in the growth of the world economy.
　　"It is imperative that the two sides join to help each other to cope," he said.

　　Chen also extended greetings to Taiwan people and expressed gratitude to those who made efforts to make the landmark visit possible.

　　He said the meeting would mark an important step in the development of cross-strait relations. "The step is not easy and is a crystallization of the joint efforts of many compatriots across the strait."

　　Chen said the compatriots across the strait are one family and their interests rely on the peaceful development of cross-strait relations.

　　The ARATS will continue to work with the SEF with a positive and pragmatic attitude to seek common ground and satisfactory results through equal consultation, he said.

　　On Monday afternoon, Chen is scheduled to visit the widow of Koo Chen-fu, the former SEF chairman who passed away in 2005.

　　The official talks between leaders of the ARATS and SEF will beheld on Tuesday morning. The two organizations will sign agreements in the afternoon and hold press conferences, according to the schedule.

　　Founded in 1991 and 1990 respectively, the ARATS and SEF are authorized by the mainland and Taiwan to handle cross-strait civilian exchanges. Negotiations were suspended for almost 10 years until June, when Chen and Chiang held their first meeting in Beijing.

　　海峡两岸关系协会会长陈云林率海协会协商代表团，于３日中午１１时４５分许乘国航包机抵达台北桃园机场。

　　陈云林在抵台后发表书面讲话时表示，以协商化解分歧、以合作取代对抗，两会互动，两岸双赢，一定能够获得广大台湾同胞的认同和支持。他期待两会共同走好这重要的一步，取得令人满意的成果。

　　陈云林一行随后下榻台北圆山饭店。根据预先安排，陈云林当天下午将拜会已故海基会董事长辜振甫遗孀辜严倬云女士。两会有关人员下午将就相关协议举行预备性磋商。

　　陈云林夫人赖晓华同机抵台。台湾海峡交流基金会副董事长兼秘书长高孔廉等到机场迎接。

　　根据海协会与海基会此前达成的共识，陈云林一行于３日至７日访问台湾。两会将在台北举行第二次领导人会谈及工作性商谈，协商解决两岸海运直航、两岸货运包机、平日包机及建立空中直达双向新航路、两岸邮政合作、两岸食品安全等问题，争取达成一致意见，并签署协议。