James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP) in Taiwan, returned to Taipei international airport Friday afternoon from Beijing via Hong Kong by the China Southern Airlines Flight CZ 3016 and the Eva Air Flight BR 868 after a nine-day trip to the Chinese mainland.

"I witnessed a large number of changes happening on the mainland during my visit and found that the mainland people, same as we Taiwanese, are willing to pursue peace," said Soong when he delivered a speech at the Taipei airport.

On May 12, Hu and Soong met and exchanged views with great sincerity, and reached six important consensuses on promoting overall economic and trade exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, according to Soong's speech.

Soong also expressed his appreciation in his speech for the mainland agreeing to offer a series of conveniences to the Taiwan compatriots, saying that what the Central Committee of Communist Party of China (CPC) has done showcases its great sincerity toward Taiwan.

Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, announced Friday morning in Beijing that the Chinese mainland will offer more conveniences to Taiwan compatriots.

In the announcement, Chen said the conveniences include simplifying procedures of entry and exit for Taiwan compatriots' travel to the mainland, reducing tuition for students from Taiwan at mainland universities and easing requirements on Taiwan compatriots who seek to work on the mainland.

Soong and his PFP delegation, at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee and its General Secretary Hu Jintao, visited Xi'an, Nanjing, Shanghai, Changsha and Beijing on the mainland between May 5 and May 13.

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2005)