A forum was held Friday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the publication of Chinese President Jiang Zemin's eight-point speech on reunification of the motherland.

Jiang Enzhu, director of the Central People's Government's Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), delivered a speech at the forum, saying that full play should be given to the demonstrative success of Hong Kong's implementation of the concept of "One Country, Two Systems" and more efforts should be made to advance the realization of the peaceful reunification of the motherland.

This was the first time that Jiang, the newly-appointed director of the liaison office, gave a speech on a public occasion since the former Xinhua News Agency Hong Kong Branch was renamed the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in HKSAR on January 18, 2000.

"After Hong Kong and Macao's return to the motherland, the solution of the Taiwan issue and the realization of a complete reunification of the motherland became the most urgent task confronting us," Jiang said.

Jiang believed that with the joint efforts of the compatriots across the Taiwan Straits and overseas Chinese throughout the world, the Taiwan issue will surely be solved soon.

Over the past five years, further progress has been achieved in the relations across the Taiwan Straits, Jiang said, adding that the exchange across the straits in economy, culture, education and sports have further been strengthened.

The HKSAR government has also paid close attention to expanding the relations between Hong Kong and Taiwan and taken active measures to promote the cultural exchange and economic cooperation between the two places, Jiang said.

Statistics showed that the total arrivals of Taiwan residents in Hong Kong in 1999 amounted to over two million with an increase of 10.3 percent compared with that of 1998, and the total trade between Hong Kong and Taiwan rose by five percent to 28.12 billion US dollars.

"This indicates that the Taiwan businesspeople are full of confidence in Hong Kong's economy in the future," Jiang stressed. He said he is sure that the principle of "One Country, two Systems" will be implemented in Taiwan smoothly.

Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has successfully implemented the principle of "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy, and the unprecedented and creative practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong has won widespread acclaim from the international community, Jiang noted.

Hong Kong people have become masters of their own destiny, enjoying a high-degree autonomy stipulated by the Basic Law, and they have received the strong economic support from the great motherland, he said.

In foreign affairs, Hong Kong people have also shared the honor and dignity attained by the great motherland internationally, he added.

More than 110 leading figures from all sectors of the society in Hong Kong attended the forum. Among them was Henry Fok Ying-tung, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), along with officials from various departments of the liaison office and the HKSAR government.

Others who addressed the forum included representatives from the CPPCC National Committee, and sectors of the press, education and enterprises as well as trade unions and women and youth organizations.

They all appealed to the Taiwan authorities to comply with the national interests and the interests of the Taiwan compatriots, and stop creating "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan."

Participants also expressed the wish to speed up the process of political and economic dialogues between the two sides and realize the reunification through political talks under the "One China" principle. (Xinhua)