Lien Chan is leading a wide range of delegates from Taiwan on a mission to promote mutual understanding.
Peng Weixue with the Institute of Taiwan Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, says the visit will promote ties cross the Straits.
"Since the first meeting between Lien and then Chinese leader Hu Jintao in 2005, Lien has made dozens of trips to the mainland. Even though he claims he is here to visit friends and relatives and it is not an official visit, the public in Taiwan still have high hopes for this visit."
Earlier, the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office director, Zhang Zhijun, met with Taiwan's mainland affairs leader Wang Yu-chi in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, the first of its kind since 1949.They have agreed to establish regular communication between the two departments.
Peng Weixue says it shows that mutual political trust has been gradually deepened.
"The communication between the mainland and Taiwan has evolved to the official level from people-to-people exchanges. It is a breakthrough. The people in Taiwan earnestly hope that better relations with the mainland will help boost Taiwan's sluggish economy. The mainland plays the key role in the peaceful development process, but the policies should have support from the people in Taiwan."
A record amount of trade made its way across the Taiwan Straits last year amidst closer ties between the two sides. What's more, the Chinese mainland says it is positive and open about a possible meeting between top leaders from both sides.
Peng Weixue says the meeting can only be held under the One-China policy.
"Both sides have shown a willingness for the leaders' meeting, but more conditions need to be created. If Taiwan does not insist on certain conditions and certain leader titles, there are many opportunities for the two leaders to meet, which will boost political trust and promote cross-Straits ties."
Taiwan authorities hope the two leaders will meet at the informal Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' meeting later this year in Beijing. But mainland officials say the APEC leaders meeting has its own rules, and sensitive political issues should be resolved through more political dialogues and negotiations.
For CRI, this is Li Jing.
