A New Year's tea party was hosted by the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing on the morning of January 1, 2000. President Jiang Zemin made remark reiterating that the "one China" principle is the foundation of peaceful reunification of the motherland.

"China will not sit idle and tolerate any act calculated to split China, pursue the so-called 'independence of Taiwan,' or harm the fundamental interests of the Chinese people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits," said Jiang, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

While extending New Year's greetings on behalf of the Chinese central government to people from all walks of life, compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, as well as foreign friends, Jiang reviewed major achievements China made in 1999 and said the year 2000 was the last year of the Ninth Five-Year Plan.

He urged all people of the country, under the leadership of the CPC, to correctly understand the situation, recognize the tasks ahead, seize the opportunities, and be progressive, determined and united in the country's socialist construction cause.

In the wake of the return of Hong Kong and Macao to China, solving the Taiwan issue and the final reunification of the Chinese sovereign territory have become more and more prominent in the eyes of all Chinese, Jiang continued.

He pledged that the China adheres to the principles of peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems," and the eight-point proposals he put forward five years ago regarding expanding relations across the Taiwan Straits and promoting the process of a peaceful reunification remain unchanged.

"We will take into consideration the different characteristics of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, and Taiwan will be given plenty of flexibility to realize peaceful reunification of China under the ' one country' premise," Jiang said.

The tea party was presided over by CPPCC National Committee Chairman Li Ruihuan. Jiang Zhenghua, chairman of the Central Committee of Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party (CPWDP), also delivered a speech at the gathering, which was attended by other high-ranking Chinese officials.