That is because Kong is the granddaughter of the late communist chairman Mao Zedong of the People's Republic of China and Chiang is the grandson of Mao's former arch enemy Chiang Kai-shek, president of the Republic of China.

Chiang and his army fled to Taiwan after losing a bloody civil war to Mao's communist troops in 1949.

Kong and Chiang did not hesitate to reach out to each other when they were urged by journalists who were covering the Chinese delegation's tour in Taiwan.

However, Kong shrugged off journalists' questions about whether this means the end of the feud between her grandfather and Chiang's grandfather, which led to the six-decade rift between China and Taiwan.

"I am glad to see Mr. Chiang didn't think that much while I was shaking hands with him." Chiang is the out-of-wedlock son of Chiang Kai-shek's son Chiang Ching-kuo, who succeeded the elder Chiang and served as Taiwan's president from 1978-1988.

Kong, who runs a book store in Beijing, is the daughter of Lee Min, the eldest daughter of Mao.

She arrived in Taiwan on Sunday as a member of a delegation led by Wang Zaixi, vice president of the Beijing-based Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits.

It was Kong's fourth visit to the island which, she said, impressed her. She added that Taiwan is advanced in culture, education and creative industry, and should be emulated by China.

(By Maubo Chang)