Honorary Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan starts a four-day visit to the Chinese mainland on Sunday, a move analysts said is expected to boost cross-Straits ties, Xinhua News Agency reports.

Lien is leading a delegation of more than 30 politicians and businesspeople on the trip from Sunday to Wednesday. Insiders disclosed that some heavyweight local entrepreneurs, including Terry Tai-Ming Guo, founder of the Taiwan electronics manufacturer Foxconn, would accompany Lien during the visit.

Lien is expected to meet China's top political leaders, said his spokesperson Kuo Su-chun, according to an AFP report on Thursday.

Earlier, Li Jiafei, spokesperson of Taiwan leader Ma Ying-Jeou, said Ma believed that expanding cross-Straits exchanges was a priority of the Kuomintang's work in the next three years and he looked forward to the outcome of Lien Chan's visit to the mainland.