Chinese Premier Vows to Do Utmost for Peaceful Reunification (03/05/2001)

The mainland side will, togetherwith the vast majority of its compatriots in Taiwan, resolutelyput a stop to any separatist attempt and do its utmost to achievepeaceful reunification.

Premier Zhu Rongji made the remark in Beijing Monday in a report onthe Outline of the Tenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic andSocial Development delivered at the opening of the Fourth Sessionof the Ninth National People's Congress.

"An early settlement of the Taiwan issue and the accomplishment of national reunification are the shared aspirations of the entire Chinese nation and an enormous task we are now facing," thepremier said.

The mainland will continue to follow the basic principles of "peaceful reunification" and "one country, two systems" and theeight-point proposal put forward by President Jiang Zemin, henoted. "We will, together with the vast majority of ourcompatriots in Taiwan, resolutely put a stop to any separatistattempt and do its utmost to achieve peaceful reunification," hesaid.

Zhu pledged to adhere to the one China principle, continue topush for cross-Straits dialogue and negotiations on that basis,and promote economic, cultural and personnel exchanges between the two sides.

"We are confident that with the unremitting efforts of allChinese people, the great cause of national reunification willsurely be accomplished at an early date," he stressed.

"As we enter the new century, we will continue to adhere tothe principle of "one country, two systems" and the basic laws ofHong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. We will render full support to the chief executives and governments of Hong Kongand Macao in their efforts to govern the regions in accordancewith law, and defend the long-term prosperity and stability ofHong Kong and Macao," he said.