All Chinese people are and will be proud of today when the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao.

With the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Macao people have become masters of their own destiny. For the Chinese people, it marks a big step forward in their strife for the reunification of their country.

Recent history has brought much sorrow and humiliation to the Chinese nation. Foreign countries, taking advantage of China's weakness, grabbed pieces of Chinese territory. Many heroes tried hard -- often at the cost of their lives -- to find a way to save the country, but they failed.

History chose the Communist Party of China. After 28 years of strenuous struggles, Mao Zedong proclaimed to the world in 1949 that the Chinese people had stood up. Now, 50 years later, Macao has returned to its motherland two years after Hong Kong did.

In the first half of the 20th century, the then Chinese government negotiated many times with the British and the Portuguese governments requesting to take back Hong Kong and Macao, but was turned down every time.

In the early 1980s, senior Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping told former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: "It must be made clear that China will take back Hong Kong in 1997."

The fate of the Chinese people began to change with the founding of New China. With the growth of China's national strength and its rising international status, the Chinese government put the questions of Hong Kong and Macao on its agenda after the late 1970s. This coincided with the beginning of economic reforms and opening to the rest of the world.

This, of course, is not a simple coincidence. Rather, it was a historic choice made by the Chinese people who have regained confidence and self-respect, toward the reunification of their motherland. Soon after, the architect of China's opening and reform, Deng Xiaoping, put forward the principle of "one country, two systems" for settling the Taiwan question.

When Hong Kong returned to China in 1997, quite a few people doubted whether the principle of "one country, two systems" could be successfully implemented in Hong Kong. Now, two years later, the success of the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people running Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong has fully verified its soundness, feasibility and viability.

China's quest for reunification has won understanding from all unbiased people in the world. Many political dignitaries from all over the world attending Macao's handover ceremony highly appreciate the flexible and pragmatic attitude that Chinese leaders have taken in dealing with issues left over by history, and their outstanding contribution to the international community.

They hold that China's policies for the settlement of the Hong Kong and Macao questions have provided an excellent model for other countries to peacefully resolve issues left over by history.

When the Chinese people cheer with smiles and applause, they are not entirely free of concerns and worries. After the return of Macao, people are turning their eyes beyond the Taiwan Strait -- where lies the final leg of China's reunification march. Chinese leaders have said on many occasions that settlement of the question of Taiwan cannot be delayed indefinitely. Now comes the turn of the Taiwan question.

In fact, the principle of "one country, two systems" has taken the fundamental interests of Taiwan compatriots into full consideration, satisfying their wish for peace and maintenance of the status quo. After the reunification, Taiwan can enjoy policies that are even more flexible than those for Hong Kong and Macao. Taiwan, for example, can keep its armed forces.

Lee Teng-hui is going the other way. He has talked about " special state-to-state relationship" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The divergence between the two sides no longer concerns social system or democracy but whether or not China should be splitted. Naturally, Lee's splittist act has been firmly opposed by the Chinese people.

It's clear that Hong Kong people are now masters of their own destiny, fully enjoy democratic rights and care from their motherland.

In addition, under the principles of "one country, two systems", "Hong Kong people running Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy, the HKSAR managed to minimize the adverse effect of the Asian financial crisis and further reinforced its status as an international financial center.

The two economic take-offs in the history of Macao were also backed by the motherland. In the 16th and 17th centuries, as China's only foreign trade port, Macao developed from a small fishing village to the largest commercial center in the Far East. In recent years Macao has been a bridge for the mainland of China to communicate with the outside world, bringing Macao the second " golden time" of economic development.

It is foreseeable that a reunited Chinese nation will be even stronger, and will be able to vitalize Taiwan's economic development, enabling Taiwan compatriots to enjoy the honor and dignity of being citizens of a great nation.

The first rays of the new millennium are on the horizon, and the Chinese nation is facing a good opportunity of reuniting the country. President Jiang Zemin said at the grand gathering marking the establishment of the Macao SAR: "The successful implementation of the 'one country, two systems' principle in Hong Kong and Macao will give a positive push to the early settlement of the Taiwan question."

It's delightful to see that the viability of the principle of " one country, two systems" has increasingly been recognized by Taiwan compatriots. There is reason to believe that it won't be long for China to achieve its reunification.