CPPCC National Committee members from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SAR) were feted Saturday evening at a banquet jointly hosted by the General Office of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and the United Front Work Department (UFWD) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.
Li Ruihuan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, was present at the banquet in the Great Hall of the People.
Addressing the banquet, Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee and head of the UFWD of the CPC Central Committee, extolled the great contributions made by compatriots of Hong Kong and Macao to the economic development, reform and opening up and the modernization drive on the mainland.
"The great achievements made in socialist modernization drive are inseparable from the converted efforts of the Chinese nation, including compatriots of Hong Kong and Macao," Wang said.
He spoke highly of the successful implementation by Hong Kong and Macao of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy and gratifying achievements in maintaining stability, prosperity and development.
CPPCC National Committee members in Hong Kong and Macao are an important force in safeguarding the long-term prosperity and stability in the two SARs, he said, adding that he hoped that they would make greater contributions to a more beautiful future of Hong Kong and Macao.
Wang pointed out that it is the common aspiration and historical mission of all the Chinese people including the Taiwan compatriots to realize the complete reunification of the motherland at the earliest possible date.
"We shall, as always, adhere to the policies of 'peaceful reunification' and 'one country, two systems', as well as the eight-point proposal advanced by President Jiang Zemin, unite all possible forces, irrespective of parties, groups and strata and no matter what kind of persons they are, so long as they persist in the "one China" principle and support the reunification of the motherland and make concerted efforts for the earliest peaceful reunification of the motherland," Wang reiterated.
Also present were member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-premier Qian Qichen and vice-chairmen of the CPPCC National Committee Yang Rudai, Henry Ying Tung Fok and Ma Man Kei.
(People’s Daily 03/04/2001)