TAIPEI - Chinese President Hu Jintao's son has been invited to visit Taiwan for an academic conference, Taipei-based media said Wednesday, amid improving ties between the two former rivals.

Taiwan's Foundation on Asia-Pacific Peace Studies had "secretly invited" Hu Haifeng to attend an international conference in May, Next Magazine quoted unnamed sources as saying.

Sources told the weekly that Hu Haifeng, deputy secretary general of Beijing's prestigious Tsinghua University, expressed a strong interest to visit Taiwan when the foundation contacted him through the school earlier this year.

When contacted by AFP, the foundation confirmed Wednesday that it would co-host an international political seminar in May but denied it had invited Hu for a visit.

Next Magazine is known for its investigative reporting and has often broken important news in the past.

As the son of China's incumbent leader, Hu Haifeng would be one of the highest-profile visitors yet from the mainland, making the trip a political breakthrough between the two sides, the report said.

The foundation, which has close ties with the government, attempted to keep the planned visit confidential due to the political sensitivity ahead of key local elections later this year, it said.

Taiwan's government, led by the Beijing-friendly President Ma Ying-jeou, has suffered a string of election setbacks since he assumed power in May 2008 on a platform of boosting ties with China.

"We welcome any academic and civil exchanges between Taiwan and China," said Chao Chien-min, deputy chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan's top China policy-making body, when contacted by AFP.