HANGZHOU -- The newly elected leader of Taiwan's main opposition party will visit the mainland by the end of this month, a senior member of the party said Monday.

Wu Poh-hsiung, elected Saturday as chairman of the Nationalist Party, is expected to visit the mainland with other party officials for a meeting with the Communist Party of China, said Nationalist Party Vice Chairman Kuan Chung.

"It is extremely likely that he will visit in late April," Kuan told The Associated Press during a visit to the eastern resort city of Hangzhou.

Wu, 67, won easily after the former chairman of the party, Ma Ying-jeou, resigned following his indictment on corruption charges. But Wu's election was also seen as a sign of support for Ma, who is still expected to be the party's candidate in next year's leadership election.

Kuan said Wu would hope to hold "substantive talks" with his Communist counterparts when he visits.

He said the Nationalists would like to hammer out a more concrete version of an agreement that paved the way for 1992 talks that were the first formal contact between Taiwan and the mainland since they separated amid civil war in 1949.

Ma did not visit the mainland during his term for fear of being labeled pro-China by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party, but Kuan said Wu, who is not seeking elected office, had no such concerns.

"He can't be attacked as overly partial toward the mainland," he said.

Kuan was in the mainland for meetings and to reassure Taiwanese investors in the mainland that the Nationalists can avoid a split in their ranks.

Wang Jin-pyng, a leading Nationalist politician who is upset at Ma, has hinted he could run as an independent in next year's election.

Ma resigned as Nationalist chairman in February following charges he skimmed 11 million New Taiwan dollars (US$330,000; euro250,000) from an expense fund when he served as mayor of Taipei.

He is on trial in Taipei but says his bid for election will not be affected.

Recent opinion polls say Ma remains a strong candidate despite the indictment.