More than a month ago, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao. This is a great event of the Chinese nation, happened after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, marking a new stage in the great cause of the reunification of the motherland. The solving of the Taiwan issue has been placed more prominently before us.

This article is written by Wang Qiren, an official with the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Special Administrative Region of Macao (MSAR), in commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the publication of President Jiang's Eight-Point Proposal entitled "Continue to Strive for Promoting Accomplishment of the Great Cause of the Reunification of the Motherland". The article says: More than a month ago, the Chinese government resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao. This is a great event of the Chinese nation, happened after Hong Kong's return to the motherland, marking a new stage in the great cause of the reunification of the motherland. The solving of the Taiwan issue has been placed more prominently before us. Further studying and implementing this important speech of President Jiang Zemin is of paramount importance to enhancing our sense of historical responsibility for the reunification of the country and the sense of urgency, to guiding us to do a good job in the cross-century work with Taiwan and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland and the comprehensive rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

After its publication, the important speech of President Jiang was highly appraised by the mass media and personages in various social circles of Macao, praising it as "rich in content, original in idea, flexible and pragmatic", and "demonstrating the determination and sincerity of the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government to develop cross-Strait relationship and promote reunification of the motherland.". They urged the Taiwan authorities to seize the opportunity and make bona fide response.

Over the past five years, inspired and propelled by President Jiang's speech and through the common efforts of compatriots at home and overseas, cross-Strait relationship has developed through a tortuous course. Seen from the contacts and exchanges between Macao and Taiwan, since the opening of navigation between Macao and Taiwan in December 1995, the number off Taiwan compatriots coming to Macao had increased from 244,000 in 1994 to over 900,000 in 1999; and the number of Taiwan compatriots coming and leaving the mainland via Macao had exceeded 3 million. The total volume of trade between Macao and Taiwan had gone up from US$156 million in 1994 to over US$300 million in 1999.

The main line that runs through the speech of President Jiang is the upholding of the principles of "peaceful reunification, and one country, two systems". Practice over the past five years shows that the "one country, two systems" is an historical choice and the best method and realistic road to the accomplishment of the great cause of peaceful reunification of the motherland.

The "one country, two systems" principle was first put forward for resolving the Taiwan issue, but it was first put into practice in Hong Kong. Over the past two years and more since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" and a high degree of autonomy has been fully carried out, compounded by the maintenance of social stability, continued economic prosperity and a steady rise in the region's international status. After Hong Kong's home-coming, the Chinese government has now resumed the exercise of sovereignty over Macao. The steady transition of Macao and the smooth hand-over of power is another successful practice of the "one country, two systems" concept.

At present, the MSAR government headed by Edmund Ho Hau Wah is properly operating administration according to law. Macao compatriots, as masters of their own affairs, are taking an active part in social affairs, Macao is full of vitality and has a beautiful future.

The principle of "one country, two systems" is applicable to Hong Kong and Macao, as well as to Taiwan. Hong Kong and Macao have many points in common with Taiwan. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan are all Chinese territory, are separate from the mainland of the motherland due to historical reasons, they all institute the capitalist system, reunification can be realized by a peaceful method through consultation and negotiation for all of them, the two different systems can be allowed to coexist for a long period of time to come. Of course, the Taiwan issue has its particularity different from the questions of Hong Kong and Macao. The issues of Hong Kong and Macao are historical questions resulted from foreign colonialist aggression against and occupation of China. The issues of Hong Kong and Macao were resolved through a diplomatic means of negotiation. The Taiwan issue should be solved by conducting political negotiation and consultation between the two sides of the Straits under the one China principle.

Owing to the fact that there exist differences in the characteristics of Taiwan and those of Hong Kong and Macao, the concrete way to solve the Taiwan issue by the method of "one country, two systems".can be more relaxed than that for Hong Kong and Macao. President Jiang's eight-point proposal sincerely calls for conducting negotiation on peaceful reunification between the two sides of the Straits, on the premise of the one China principle, any question can be discussion. People of insight in Taiwan should respond to President Jiang's proposal as soon as possible and carry out cross-Strait dialog and negotiation.

Now that direct exchanges of mail, trade and air and shipping services have not been realized between the two sides of the Straits, Macao has become one of the important bridges for cross-Strait ties and exchanges. After Macao's return to the motherland, the relationship between the MSAR and the region of Taiwan has become a special component part of the cross-Strait relationship. With a view to guiding the healthy development of the Macao-Taiwan relationship, the Central Government has announced the basic principles and policies for handling Macao's Taiwan-related issues after 1999. Their basic spirit is to adhere to the "one country, two systems" principle and, under the one China principle, maintain and develop non-governmental contacts and exchanges between Macao and Taiwan and safeguard the legal rights and interests of Macao and Taiwan compatriots.

For a long time in the past, people of various circles and social organizations in Macao, in the activities of contacts and exchanges between Macao and Taiwan, have done a great deal of work for promoting the peaceful reunification of the mainland and Taiwan. We believe that Macao compatriots with a glorious tradition of patriotism will make continued efforts to actively participate in the various tasks for the application of the "one country, two systems", devote their resources to the steady development of Macao and play a still greater role in developing cross-Strait relationship. Application of the "one country, two systems" in Macao has exerted positive influence on Taiwan.