The mainland visit of a senior member of Taiwan's main opposition party has raised expectations for better exchanges between the mainland and the island's Democratic Progressive Party.

Chen Chu, mayor of Kaohsiung, arrived in the mainland on Friday and is staying until Wednesday.

Yang Yi, spokesman of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, told Xinhua News Agency that the mainland always supports city-to-city exchanges across the Taiwan Straits, and also welcomes people from Taiwan "as long as they endorse the idea of cross-Straits peaceful development", he said.