Hundreds of Chinese Canadians on November 27 gathered at First Markham, Toronto, for the opening of a photo exhibition marking the return of Macao to China on December 20.

Cutting the ribbon at the opening ceremony were Chinese Consul General in Toronto Zhou Xingbao, Canadian Minister for International Cooperation Maria Minna, Councilor of Markham Alex Chiu and Chairman of the Chinese Cultural Center of Greater Toronto Ming-Tat Cheung.

Addressing the ceremony, Prof. Boon Cham, chairman of the Organizing Committee for Celebrating the Return of Macao to China, said overseas Chinese are proud and happy to see the return of Macao to China, two years after the return of Hong Kong.

Chinese Canadians, who benefit from China's enhanced status in the world, also look forward to the reunification of Taiwan with the mainland in the near future, the professor said.

The Chinese Consul General told the gathering that in 23 days, China will resume exercise of sovereignty over Macao, which is another victory of the theory of "one country, two systems" initiated by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping.

With the return of Macao, China is ever closer to its final reunification, he said, adding that Lee Teng-hui's "two states" fallacy is bound to fail.

Congratulating China on Macao's home-coming, the Canadian Minister said that no country in the world today should be allowed to colonize others.

Hailing the Sino-Canadian agreement signed on Friday on China's accession to the World Trade Organization, she hoped for even better ties between the two countries.

More than a hundred photos featuring the history of Macao and events in the process of its upcoming hand-over to China are on display at the exhibition, which will last till December 19 in Toronto, where about 10,000 Canadians of Chinese descent from Macao live. (Xinhua)