Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) Honorary Chairman Lien Chan returned to Taiwan yesterday after a 13-day visit to the mainland.

He left Shanghai at 1 pm yesterday for Taiwan, travelling via Hong Kong.

Lien arrived in Beijing on April 13 to attend the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum. He left Beijing on April 17 to visit Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces and Shanghai in East China.

Lien delivered a short speech at the Shanghai Pudong Airport, saying that his third visit to the mainland during the past year was "very successful."

Lien said he went to his ancestral village for the first time in his lifetime, enabling him to finally discover his roots.

"When I spoke to thousands of fellow villagers, I felt deep affection between them and me, which made me once again firmly believe that cross-Straits prosperity will be achieved through joint efforts of the people in the mainland and Taiwan."

Chen Liangyu, secretary of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC), met with Lien Chan on Monday and extended a warm welcome.

General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao and Lien Chan discussed peace and development across the Taiwan Straits when they met on April 16.

Lien Chan received warm congratulations from Hu Jintao for the success of the Cross-Straits Economic and Trade Forum, which concluded on April 15.

Lien said the four suggestions put forward by Hu on cross-Straits peace and development were very far-sighted.

To further demonstrate the sincerity of the mainland to boost relations, 15 new beneficial policies were announced at the closing ceremony of the forum.

The policies allow more Taiwan fruits and aquatic products to be sold to the mainland and the mainland will recognize university diplomas issued in Taiwan.

During his stay on the mainland, Lien Chan also visited the Great Wall in Beijing and received honorary doctor's degree from Xiamen University in Fujian Province.

(China Daily April 26, 2006)