Lien Chan, Honorary Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, arrived in Beijing on Friday to attend the Third Cross-Straits Economic, Trade and Cultural Forum scheduled for April 28-29.

Lien arrived with his wife Lien Fangyu and resided at Beijing Hotel.

Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, and other officials welcomes them at the hotel.

The Third Cross-Straits Economic and Cultural Forum, co-organized by the CPC and KMT, will be held in Beijing over the weekend.

Among its some 500 participants, 300 will come from Taiwan, including those from the KMT, People First Party, New Party and the Non-Partisan Solidarity Union.

The forum will hold discussions on major issues of cross-straits interest - including direct flights, education exchanges and mainland residents' travels to Taiwan.

Lien Chan started his visit to the mainland on April 16 when he arrived in Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan Province. This is Lien Chan's fourth trip to the mainland since his first visit on April, 2005.