ARATS chief offers condolences for late entrepreneur

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-11-04 19:09

Taipei -- The mainland's chief Taiwan negotiator, Chen Yunlin, paid a special visit to the Chang Gung University Tuesday to offer condolences to family members of late Taiwan entrepreneur Wang Yung-ching.

Chen, president of the mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) offered an elegiac couplet and a flower basket to Wang's remains. He also expressed sympathy to Wang's relatives.

Chen said Wang was a national entrepreneur who was respected by compatriots from both sides of the Taiwan Straits. He was recognized for his contribution to Taiwan's economic prosperity and for promoting exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits.

Wang was the founder of Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group.

Chen also said people admired Wang for his great work with social welfare causes and his generous financial donations to society.

"My colleague and I, on behalf of Wang Yi, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, came here to express our condolences and show our respect for his endeavor in promoting cross-Straits relations," said Chen.

Chen and Wang knew each other for the past 15 years. Chen once wrote a preface for a book about Wang, praising him for advocating the "three direct links" of post, trade and transport services across the Straits.

Chen said agreements with both sides will "comfort the soul of the deceased".

Wang, the second richest man in Taiwan with a personal fortune of 6.8 billion US dollars, set up his company in 1954. He died in the United States in October at the age of 91.