A spokesperson from the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office (TAO) said in Beijing on Sunday that representatives of the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS) will attend the funeral of Koo Chen-fu, chairman of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF).

Wang Daohan, president of the ARATS, is sending the mainland-based organization's Vice President Sun Yafu and Secretary-General Li Yafei to attend the funeral on his behalf, as he is unable to travel himself.

Koo died of renal failure in Taipei on January 3, aged 89. In an earlier interview, Wang said that compatriots across the Taiwan Straits had praised Koo for his contribution to the development of relations and his honoring of the consensus reached in 1992 by the ARATS and SEF on the "one-China" principle.

"I cherish the memories of my old friend and wanted to attend his funeral," said Wang, "However, due to my old age I am too weak to go there."

In April 1993, Koo and Wang met in Singapore for the first high-level, non-governmental talks between Taiwan and the mainland, which became known as the Wang-Koo meeting. In 1998 they held a second round in Shanghai.

Sun and Li will leave Shanghai for Taipei on February 1 and return the next day, the TAO spokesperson said.

TAO Director Chen Yunlin told the press, "We have treasured memories of Mr. Koo. We wish to pay our respects."

The TAO added that, during their visit to Taiwan, Sun and Li will act as personal representatives of the ARATS president and will not touch on any issue pertaining to cross-Straits relations.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2005)