Leaders of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) and the People First Party (PFP), the two main opposition parties in Taiwan, expressed their condolences over the death of Wang Daohan on Saturday.

Wang, president of the mainland-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits, died of disease in Shanghai Saturday morning at the age of 90.

On hearing the news, KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou and PFP Chairman James Soong also expressed their sympathy and solicitude to relatives of Wang, according to reports from Taiwan.

Ma said that Wang had played an important role in the development of cross-Straits relations. The KMT is considering sending representatives to the mainland to pay their last respects to the remains of Wang.

Soong expressed the hope that there could come other heavy weight like Wang to work for the settlement of problems between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits.

Source: Xinhua