A recent nationwide survey shows that a large proportion of Chinese urban residents considered Macao's return and the war in Kosovo as the most important events of 1999.

The Beijing Mainland Marketing Research Company together with 13 other survey firms across China organized a poll among urban residents in 14 Chinese cities at the end of last year.

Among the 6,400 people surveyed, about 62.5 percent listed Macao's return to China as the most important domestic event. The 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China ranked second.

Other major domestic events included China's combat against the Falun Gong cult, earthquakes in Taiwan, the Taiwan issue, and the successful launching of China's first unmanned spacecraft.

In 1999, wars around the globe left an indelible impression on the Chinese people. The survey shows that 36.6 percent of the interviewees chose the war in Kosovo while 25 percent chose NATO's bombing of the Chinese embassy in Yugoslavia.

People are also greatly concerned with China's entry into the World Trade Organization, the war in Chechenya, the earthquake in Turkey and the sex scandals of US President Bill Clinton.