James Soong, chairman of the People First Party (PFP), arrived at the Hong Kong international airport from Taipei Thursday morning by an Eva Air flight BR 865 before starting a nine-day mainland visit.
   
Soong and the PFP delegation led by him arrived at the airport at 10:52 (0252 GMT) and will take the China Southern Airlines Flight CZ 3011 at about 12:45 (0445 GMT) to Xi'an, the first leg of their mainland visit.
   
They were greeted at the airport by Xing Kuishan, assistant director of the Taiwan Work Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and Stephen Lam Sui-lung, secretary for constitutional affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.
   
Two Hong Kong girls presented bouquets of flowers to Soong and his wife.
   
Soong and the delegation, at the invitation of the CPC Central Committee and its General Secretary Hu Jintao, are to visit the mainland cities of Xi'an, Nanjing, Shanghai, Changsha and Beijing between May 5 and May 13.
   
During Soong's stay in Beijing, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, and other leaders of the CPC Central Committee will meet with the PFP delegation and have formal talks with James Soong.
  
Soong and the delegation are expected to arrive in Xi'an at about 15:00 (0700 GMT).

(Xinhua News Agency May 5, 2005)