Taipei  - The honorary chairman of Taiwan's opposition Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang (KMT), Lien Chan, plans to make his fourth visit to China next week to promote Taipei-Beijing ties with Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Taiwan press said on Saturday.

Lien is due to fly to China on Monday, when Hu is expected to receive him in his capacity as the secretary general of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Hu is expected to invite Lien to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 8, according to press reports.

Lien first visited Beijing in 2005 and met with Hu, the first contact between the CCP and the KMT since the end of a civil war between them in 1949.

Since 2005, Lien has visited China three times and was received by Hu on each visit.

Relations between the two archrivals are expected to improve now that Ma Ying-jeou of the pro-China KMT defeated the pro-independence candidate in the March 22 Taiwan presidential election.

Ma, who has pledged to fully open trade with China while putting aside political issues like Taiwan's independence, is to be sworn in on May 20.

Beijing opposes formal independence for Taiwan. (dpa)