BEIJING - Kuomintang Honorary Chairman Lien Chan will lead a delegation from Taiwan to visit the Chinese mainland this month, a mainland spokeswoman announced on Friday.

Lien, also chairman of a foundation on cross-Straits peaceful development, will visit Beijing at the invitation of the mainland side from February 17 to 20, according to Fan Liqing, spokeswoman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council.

"We welcome and will encourage people on the two sides of the Straits to boost exchanges, enhance communication, increase mutual understanding and kinship and make joint efforts to push forward the development of cross-Straits ties," Fan said.

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