I am happy to see Macao has been returned to the embrace of the motherland going to wind up the 20th century. Looking back over the past course of advance of New China in the 20th century and visualizing the future course of developments of China in the upcoming 21st century, my mind is full of many a varied hopes and expectations.

The 20th century has seen a declining China back to its feet and from being weak and brow beaten to becoming strong. By the 21st century will be meant an all-round rising and development of China unknown to the nation's history, without doubt.

China saw its rebirth back in 1949 and thanks to this the Chinese people have since stood up! To the name of this people great achievements have been reported in developing their economy, culture and other many and various causes. Unexpectedly, with "Leftist ideas" getting on rampancy there had been brought unnecessary damages and twists and turns to the country's development. For an exaggeration of the nature of the "struggle to counterattack the rightists" in 1957 and the so-called "unprecedented great culture revolution" launched in 1966, the whole Chinese economy had suffered untold setbacks; all cultural activities, academic studies and scientific and technological pursuits had been completely brought to a standstill. It was in 1978 that things had been righted, setting China upon a new construction period of reform and opening to the outside world. This has brought the country onto the road of national rejuvenation. With many outstanding cultural and economic advances made over the last 20 and more years, China has by claiming back its sovereignty over Hong Kong and Macao cleared the Chinese nation of their centuries' deep grievance.

The 21st century will see the full grandeur and splendor and an all-round rejuvenation and prosperity of the Chinese nation. Some scores of years of new efforts in the 21st century will surely on the basis of great economic advances help China take its due place alongside the developed countries.

Deng Xiaoping says science and technology form No.1 productive forces. Thanks to reform and opening to the outside there has been set the stage of an ever-bright day for China's socialist construction and great economic development of the Chinese nation. With new scientific technological advances and practical effort made China will overtake the advanced Western countries and go in for competitions with them in developing world science and technology. It goes without saying a happy rising scene will be presented by the country's humanities and other studies in the 21st century. "Let one hundred schools of thought contend and one hundred flowers blossom" will show its full part in contributing to a sound development of Chinese culture and all other undertakings in China.

The 21st century will see to it that things be all and well run by rule of law and socialist democracy strike its deep root in China.

In the 21st century, the East will renew greater rapprochement and have mutual understanding enhanced with the West. The Chinese people will put greater value on development of science and cultures of the West; the Western peoples will set great store by "affinity for all men under Heaven" as a fine tradition of the Chinese culture. China will become all the more an important force upholding peace and guaranteeing world stability.