One of China's top officials in charge of Taiwan policy plans to visit the island in October, the Chinese government reported Wednesday.
"Taiwan Affairs Office Director Chen Yunlin will lead a delegation attending a forum on agricultural cooperation," an unnamed spokesman said on the office's website.
It said Chen's delegation would have more than 60 members, including officials and businessmen.
According to reports from Taiwan, Chen had been invited by Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang, to attend an agricultural forum in Taipei for six days in mid-October.
But the same reports suggested Chen had not yet applied for permission to visit with the Taiwan authorities.
Chen applied for permission to visit late last year but the Taiwan government turned down the proposal.
China and Taiwan have been separated since the end of a civil war in 1949. Beijing still considers the island part of its territory and has vowed to retake it, by force if necessary.
