Pinning hopes on the Taiwan people with a glorious tradition of patriotism for the realization of complete reunification of the motherland is the consistent proposition of our Party and government and is one of the important thoughts expounded in President Jiang Zemin's important speech entitled "Continue to Fight for Promoting Accomplishment of Great Cause of Reunification of Motherland" published in 1995.

This thought is elaborated in President Jiang's Report to the subsequent National Party Congress (1997) and in his speech made at the New Year Day tea party held by the CPPCC this year, which is an important guiding ideology for us to do our work with Taiwan well.

Pinning hopes on the Taiwan people for realization of national reunification is determined by the nature, view and purpose of our Party. The Communist Party of China has always attached importance to the role of the masses of the people, fully believes in, relies on and unites with the people, and persistently follows the mass line. In regard to solving the Taiwan issue, it is, of course, necessary for us to negotiate with the Taiwan authorities for the realization of peaceful reunification. However, the Party and government have consistently stressed that we "all the more place hopes on the Taiwan people". The words "all the more" fully express our attention paid to, and respect shown for, the opinion and role of the Taiwan people. The basic principle "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems" we have formulated gives full consideration to the vital and fundamental interests of the Taiwan people, ensuring that they are not impaired; whether in the process or after realization of reunification, we will "fully respect Taiwan compatriots' desire for being masters of their own affairs and their demand for developing political democracy, maintaining and safeguarding their vital interests". "All the more place hopes on the Taiwan people" not only is an idea, but also comprises concrete contents.

For a long time, the general run of Taiwan compatriots have made indelible contributions to, and played an important role in, the effort for an early end to the man-made situation featuring the separation of people on the two sides of the Taiwan Straits, for breaking the cross-Strait political and military stalemate, for pushing forward contacts of people on both sides of the Straits and exchange and cooperation in various fields, and for promoting realization of direct exchanges of mails, trade, and air and shipping services, and cross-Strait contacts, dialogs and consultations. In the face of the protests of numerous nostalgic ex-soldiers, the Taiwan authorities were forced to allow Taiwan people at the end of 1987 to return to the mainland for visiting their relatives and due to the growing number of proprietors of small and medium-sized enterprises who have come via a third place to the mainland to invest and set up factories, which has forced the Taiwan authorities to gradually open cross-Strait economic exchanges,

Taiwan compatriots are the backbone forces against division and the "independence of Taiwan". Taiwan departments concerned have conducted many so-called public opinion polls, with which to support their separatist policies and views. We must make deep analyses of these public opinion polls, only by so doing can we see the essence through the appearance. Indeed, due to the long-term distorted, misleading and slanderous publicity by Taiwan authorities and the "Taiwan independence" forces, Taiwan compatriots have been unable to correctly understand and misunderstand the real content of the mainland's policies toward Taiwan, as a result, some Taiwan compatriots temporarily do not agree to accept the mainland's principles and policies toward Taiwan; nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of the Taiwan compatriots disfavor splittism and take a clear-cut stand against the "independence of Taiwan", this, too, is an indisputable fact, seeking peace, stability and development, and hoping to maintain the status quo should be the common psychology of Taiwan compatriots.

We should say that Taiwan people have played an important role in safeguarding the state sovereignty and territorial integrity and guaranteeing that the status of Taiwan as part of China must not be changed. We believe that as the lies are being gradually laid bare and the truth is being increasingly brought into daylight, more and more Taiwan compatriots will increase their understanding of the situation in the mainland through exchanges and contacts between the two sides of the Straits, and see through the plot of the island's separatist and "Taiwan independence" forces and realize that the "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems" policy is the best method for resolving the Taiwan issue, a policy that really gives consideration to the interests of the Taiwan people.

At present, the situation in Taiwan Island is complicated and changeful, the development of cross-Strait relationship is now at a crucial moment. In his speech given at the forum marking the fifth anniversary of the publication of President Jiang's eight-point proposal, Vice-Premier Qian Qichen said that we would continue to implement the basic principle "peaceful reunification, one country, two systems" and President Jiang's eight-point proposal and that we would exert our utmost and try every possible way to strive for resolving the Taiwan issue by peaceful means. This fully demonstrates our utter sincerity for bringing about peaceful reunification. But, if the separatist and "Taiwan independence" forces within the island cling obstinately to their own course, trying by various ways to separate Taiwan from China and create the "independence of Taiwan", then, we cannot but adopt drastic measures. That "independence of Taiwan" would only lead to war is not an alarmist talk. For the sake of the overall interests of the Chinese nation and the fundamental and long-term interests of Taiwan compatriots themselves, we hope that Taiwan compatriots go into action and make their choice beneficial to peaceful reunification on cardinal questions of right and wrong concerning Taiwan's future and play their due role in this regard.. Compatriots on both sides of the Strait should get united to oppose division, stop the plot for "independence of Taiwan" and join efforts to strive for a bright prospect of peaceful reunification.