Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung and his companies pose for a group photo during their visit to the Leifeng Pagoda in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, on May 29, 2009. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)
BEIJING, May 31 -- Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung started his two-day visit on Friday to Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, the third stop of his ongoing mainland tour.
Wu Poh-hsiung met with Zhao Hongzhu, secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China Friday afternoon. The two parties exchanged views on promoting trade and cultural exchanges between Zhejiang and Taiwan.
Wu attributed the growing ties to direct links policy, which shortened flights between the two capital cities, namely Hangzhou and Taipei, to just 1.5 hours since last December.
SOUNDBITE: Wu Poh-hsiung, Kuomingtang Chairman “This is my first visit to Hangzhou city, and a short one, but I do believe it will not be my last and I’m looking forward to longer stays in future.”
SOUNDBITE: Zhao Hongzhu, secretary of Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China “The trade volume between Zhejiang province and Taiwan approached 10.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, with 9 billion import from Taiwan and around 1.5 billion export to Taiwan. We have high expectation to potential growth in the future.”
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Hangzhou. (XHTV)