BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Jia Qinglin, a senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC), met here Thursday with Lien Chan, chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT) party, who is heading a high-level KMT delegation from Taiwan on a historic visit to the mainland.

Jia, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureauof the CPC Central Committee, extended a warm welcome to Lien and his entourage, and spoke highly of KMT's stand of endorsing the '1992 consensus,' opposing 'Taiwan independence' and promoting the development of cross-Straits relations.

"We also highly appreciate KMT's efforts in safeguarding and striving for the welfare of the Taiwan compatriots, and its pursuit of peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits," said Jia.

Describing Lien's visit as an important exchange and dialogue between the KMT and CPC, Jia said that the scheduled talks between Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and Lien on Friday would be a historic meeting between top leaders of the two parties.

The meeting, the first of its kind in 60 years, "will be of major historic and practical significance", as the two leaders will take this opportunity to promote peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and push forward cross-Straits exchanges and cooperation, said Jia.

According to Jia, Hu and Lien will exchange their views on major issues concerning the improvement and development of cross-Straits relations, as well as party-to-party exchanges between theCPC and KMT, in an "extensive, in-depth and candid manner."

Jia recalled that during his meeting with KMT Vice-Chairman Chiang Pin-kung, who headed the first KMT delegation in 56 years to visit the mainland in March, he once cited a poem by Lu Xun (1881-1936), one of the most famous contemporary Chinese writer, to describe Lien's planned visit.

"Brothers are still brothers despite all the quarrels and fights that have occurred between them, and their hatred toward each other will be dispersed with one smile when they meet again,"Jia quoted the poem again.

"I am looking forward to what was written in the poem coming true in the relationship between the KMT and CPC, marked by tomorrow's handshake between General Secretary Hu and Chairman Lien," he added.

Jia expressed his sincere hope that the high-level talks between the two parties would "produce positive results".

"We believe that as long as the two parities sincerely safeguard the benefits of the people across the Straits and strive for their welfare, they are representing the correct choice of history, and are bound to win the approval and support of the people across the Straits," he told Lien.