President Jiang Zemin said in Beijing today that China's reunification has become "still more pressing" after his country resumes the exercise of its sovereignty over Macao.

Jiang made the remark in the second session of the informal summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse this morning.

Macao will return to the motherland in a just couple of days. Jiang said, describing the event as "another big step forward" for China's great cause of reunification.

Under such circumstances, the settlement of the Taiwan issue and the task of accomplishing China's eventual reunification has become still more pressing, Jiang noted.

President Yeltsin reiterated the Russian government's consistent adherence to its principled stance on the Taiwan issue and its support to China's great reunification cause.

Russia will not accept the absurdity that the cross-strait relationships are the "state-to-state relations," Yeltsin said.

President Jiang expressed his thanks to the Russian side for its support to the great cause of China's reunification. (Xinhua)