Chinese mainland chief of Taiwan affairs Zhang Zhijun embarked on his trip to Taiwan on Wednesday. To paraphrase Neil Armstrong's moonwalk quote: one small step for Zhang, one giant leap for cross-Straits relations.

Indeed, the historical significance of this visit - the first to Taiwan in the name of a director of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office since 1949 - hardly pales in comparison with that of a moon landing for mankind's scientific progress, said the Xinhua News Agency.

Zhang is scheduled to meet Wang Yu-chi, director of Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, during his four-day visit. It will be the second meeting between the two this year, after one on the mainland in February.