Taipei, Nov. 15 (CNA) Former President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) foundation said Friday it was notified that the central government had approved its application to invite a group of Chinese students to visit Taiwan.

Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), the CEO of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, said in a statement that the 40 students from seven universities will be led by Qiu Yong (邱勇), the China Tsinghua University Committee Secretary of the Communist Party.

The visiting students will include double Olympic table tennis champion Ma Long (馬龍) of Beijing Sport University, and 2020 Tokyo Olympic shooting gold medalist Yang Qian (楊倩) of Tsinghua University.

They are expected to arrive in Taiwan on Nov. 27 and depart on Dec. 5.

During the trip, they will visit National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chengchi University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chinese Culture University, Chang Gung University and Taipei Municipal Zhong Shan Girls High School, Hsiao said.

He expressed gratitude for Kuomintang lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao's (賴士葆) coordination, and for the support from Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) head Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) and Deputy Education Minister Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成).

Hsiao said that the government approving the students to visit is meaningful at a time of increasingly tense cross-strait relations.

He said former President Ma hoped the visit would be the first of many and that the government would approve visits by more Chinese people, promote more non-governmental exchanges between the two sides and work to improve the overall relationship between Beijing and Taipei.

The MAC said on Thursday that no major flaws were identified while the application was being reviewed.

It added that it will ask the visiting group that no political statements be made and no actions detrimental to Taiwan's status be taken.