The mainland sent a telegram expressing condolences to the wife of Sun Yun-suan, honorary chairman of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) in Taiwan, who died from a heart attack in Taipei on Wednesday morning. He was 92.

Chen Yunlin, director of both the Taiwan Work Office of Central Committee of Communist Party of China and the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said: "I am shocked and grief-stricken to learn of Sun's death, and express profound sorrow and condolences to your family."

"Sun was a highly knowledgeable, cultural person. He was admired for his tremendous contribution to Taiwan's economic development, his concerns for the peaceful and stable development across the Taiwan Straits and his push for cross-straits negotiations and communication," he said.

Sun was born in east China's Shandong Province in 1913 and graduated from Harbin Polytechnic University in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, majoring in electrical engineering.

Sun held many important professional posts during his career. He was a member of the KMT (Kuomintag) Central Committee and a member of the Standing Committee of the KMT Central Committee.

Sun was Taiwan's premier from 1978 to 1984 after having served as minister of economic affairs for nine years. He gained respect from the Taiwan political circle for laying the foundations for Taiwan's economic growth.

Sun was selected by late President Chiang Ching-kuo to be his successor but was unable to take up the position after suffering a stroke in 1984 that ended his political career.

(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2006)