Wang Yi appointed head of Taiwan Affairs Office

By Li Xinran  |   2008-6-3  |     ONLINE EDITION

WANG Yi takes over head of Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council today. Chen Yunlin, the former director, has been appointed as the chairman of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS).

Wang, 55, served the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 26 years and used to be the vice foreign minister and ambassador to Japan.

The Beijing native was graduated from Beijing International Studies University in 1982 and launched his career as a diplomat.

Wang, who once majored in Japanese, also held a master degree on economics and mainly engaged in Asian affairs during his tenure in the ministry.

The Taiwan Affairs Office is an administrative institution in charge of Taiwan affairs under the State Council – China's cabinet.

ARATS, founded in Beijing on December 16, 1991, is an organization aims to promote exchanges and relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits with a view to realizing the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

Wang Daohan, the late Chinese mainland's top envoy on Taiwan affairs and a former Shanghai mayor who died on December 24, 2006, served as the first chairman of the association.

The Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) has accepted an invitation for talks with ARATS, Taiwan media reported on May 29.

SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kun said he "expected that chairmen of the two sides could sign agreement on related issues on June 13".

The ARATS sent an invitation letter earlier May 29 to SEF chairman Chiang Pin-kun and vice-chairman and secretary-general Kao Koong-lian to lead a delegation to Beijing from June 11 to 14 for talks on cross-Strait weekend chartered flights and mainland tourist travel to Taiwan.

"We hope the talks will make progress on the two issues to meet the expectations of people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait," the letter said.