Related report: Soong visits mainland     

Visiting Chairman James CY Soong of the People First Party (PFP) said in Beijing Thursday (May 12) that his party would join efforts with the Kuomintang (KMT) Party of China, another major opposition party in Taiwan, to strive for "three direct links" between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.

In a meeting with the mainland press, Soong said that both PFP and KMT would exercise supervision and influence over Taiwan authorities and "care for" the issue of "three direct links", namely direct mail service, trade, air and shipping services, across the Taiwan Straits, which was the matter of the greatest concern for Taiwan people.

Soong noted that the majority of the people in Taiwan long for peace and stability, adding that most of them were hoping for more communication and dialogue.

Soong, who is now on a nine-day historic visit, suggested Taiwan people to see the "profound changes and progress" on the mainland with their own eyes, because many of them lacked the knowledge of the mainland after an isolation of more than 50 years.

Editor: Yan