Taiwan Leader Visits China

Taiwan's opposition leader arrived in China on Tuesday on a trip aimed at easing tensions with Beijing, becoming the most prominent Taiwanese political figure to visit the mainland since the two sides split amid civil war in 1949.

"Taipei and Nanjing are not too distant, but it still took 60 years to come here. It certainly took too long to make the journey," Lien Chan said after arriving in this eastern city, which had been the capital when his Nationalist Party ruled China.

Lien's visit is the first by a Nationalist leader since the party, which once ruled both Taiwan and China, fled the mainland following its defeat by the communists. It includes a meeting Friday with Chinese President Hu Jintao — the first encounter between leaders of the two former enemies in six decades.

Relations between the Nationalists and communists have warmed in recent years as they united in opposition to Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian, whose party wants formal independence. Beijing is trying to isolate Chen by building ties with parties such as Lien's that favor eventually uniting the self-ruled island with the mainland.

The eight-day visit comes as Beijing steps up efforts to discourage Taiwan from pursuing formal independence — a move that the communist mainland says would lead to war. China's legislature enacted an anti-secession law in March authorizing a military attack.

Lien said he wanted to promote economic ties and ease tensions with Beijing. He also said hoped to discuss "the common future of both sides across the (Taiwan) Strait."

He was met by Chen Yunlin, director of the Communist Party's Taiwan Work Office, and other officials.

"I regret that we didn't meet earlier," Lien told them. "I'm very happy that finally we can make this historic step."

Before Lien left Taipei, scuffles broke out at the Taiwanese capital's airport between his supporters and egg-throwing protesters who accused him of pandering to Beijing.

The rival groups shoved, kicked and punched each other. Lien supporters, gripping flags, tried to break through a police cordon but were pushed back.

In Nanjing, Lien planned to pay respects at the grave of Nationalist founder Sun Yat-sen — claimed by both sides as their hero — before traveling to Beijing to meet Hu.

Not long ago, Lien's visit would have been unthinkable. The Nationalists — who ruled Taiwan for five decades until losing power in 2000 — often jailed people who were sympathetic to the communists. Until the late 1980s, they banned Taiwanese from visiting the mainland.

But the tensions began to ease in the early 1990s, and Taiwanese tourists and businesses started flocking to the mainland. After losing the presidency, the Nationalists began pushing for closer ties with China.

Analysts have disagreed on whether Lien's trip will help ease China-Taiwan tensions. Some say the former vice president and foreign minister can win Beijing's trust. Others say Lien is being used by Chinese leaders to widen the schisms in Taiwanese society.

Chen's government has criticized Lien's China trip and threatened to charge him with treason if he signs any deals without government authorization. But the president has mellowed in recent days, saying Lien could use his tour to "toss a stone to test the water" of reconciliation.

Lien's deputy party chairman visited Beijing in March. Another leading opposition figure, James Soong, has accepted an invitation to visit the mainland and his party says he might come next month.

The last time leaders of the Nationalist and Communist parties met was 1945, when Nationalist dictator Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong, then a guerrilla, held talks on forming a government.

Those negotiations failed and four years later, the communists drove Chiang and his Nationalists to Taiwan.