The honorary chairman of Taiwan's ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party on Monday conveyed sympathy over the deadly quake in the mainland's Sichuan Province and wishes that the area can recover soon.

While meeting with Peng Qinghua, secretary of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, Wu Poh-hsiung said KMT Chairman Ma Ying-jeou has expressed concerns over the earthquake and pledged Taiwan's willingness to offer help and send rescue teams to quake-hit areas.

The strong quake in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 8:02 a.m. on Saturday has left 188 people dead and 25 missing as of 2 p.m.. Altogether, 11,950 were injured and more than 1.72 million people were affected by the natural disaster.

Wu told Peng, who arrived in Taipei on Monday morning for a five-day visit, that exchanges between Taiwan and Guangxi have intensified over the years, with increasing number of Taiwanese businessmen investing in Guangxi. He expects Peng's visit to further enhance economic, trade and cultural cooperation between Taiwan and Guangxi, he said.

Wu suggested that the mainland and Taiwan should deepen political mutual trust based on the "1992 Consensus," and further strengthen cross-Strait economic cooperation and cultural exchange to push forward cross-Strait relations, which must not retrogress.

(Xinhua News Agency April 22, 2013)