Kuomintang (KMT) Chairman Wu Poh-hsiung Wednesday met a delegation of mainland ethnic minority college students.

Yang Jianqiang, vice minister in charge of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC), is with the delegation as its general counsellor and also as head of the mainland-based China Association of Ethnic Economy.

In the next two weeks, the delegation will stage several charity performances in Taipei, Taichung and Kinmen and meet with Taiwan students.

Wu said he was moved by the students' decision to donate the money earned by the performances to Taiwan typhoon-battered areas.

Morakot, the worst typhoon that hit Taiwan in nearly 50 years, ravaged the island in early August, leaving about 700 people dead and missing and forcing the evacuations of thousands.

Wu said Taiwan would "make good use" of the more than 6 billion New Taiwan dollars (186 million U.S. dollars) donated by organizations and individuals on the mainland.

Yang Jianqiang expressed his wish people in typhoon-hit areas could resume normal life soon.

He said exchanges between young people across the Taiwan Strait were "very necessary and important" because youth was the future.

"I believe the visit this time will further promote understanding and friendship between youths in the mainland and Taiwan," Yang said.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2009)