Shanghai Vice Mayor Feng Guoqin arrived in Taipei via Hong Kong yesterday for a 10-day unofficial visit of Taiwan, city officials said.
Feng is traveling as a representative of the Shanghai Social Workers' Association - not as a senior city government official, they said.
His delegation includes Shi Derong, director of the city Civil Affairs Bureau, and Guo Ge, deputy director of the Shanghai Taiwan Office.
The group will visit several old folks homes in Taipei. It will also travel to Alishan and Tainan.
On Monday, Feng met Fung Hu-Hsing, the head of a New Party delegation visiting the mainland, and said Shanghai is well prepared to establish direct transport links with Taiwan.
The Taiwan delegation is promoting trade, communications and transportation links.
(People's Daily 01/11/2001)