For many years, the exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits in the economic and cultural and other fields have been frequent, but the political stalemate has not been broken. The fundamental reason is that the Taiwan authorities have forsaken the principle of "one China", and created "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan". In his talk President Jiang Zemin has laid emphasis on adherence to the principle of one China. This is exactly the crucial issue whether the relationships between the sides of the Straits can develop smoothly and whether the reunification can be realized. There may be different views and interpretations as to the political implications of "one China", but the most fundamental issue is that it is necessary to adhere to the proposition that there is only one China in the world, Taiwan is a part of China, China's sovereignty and territory can not be split, the Taiwan question is purely China's internal affair and China must be reunified. If one says that China must be reunified on the one hand, but on the other hand is urging energetically for Taiwan's entry into the United Nations and for "dual recognition", it is in fact an attempt to split Taiwan from the Chinese territory. This is precisely the renunciation of the principle of one China and an act to create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan".

The correct approach to the realization of peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits is, through exchanges, to promote understanding, establish mutual confidence and enter into political negotiations, and all this should take the strict adherence to the principle of one China as the basis and premise.

Under the principle of one China, all the questions derived in the course of the exchanges between the two sides of the Straits can be settled through negotiation and the hostilities between the two sides can be formally brought to an end through negotiation, and solutions to other issues of concern to the Taiwan authorities can be found, thus continuously developing the relationships between the two sides of the Straits to create conditions for the final realization of peaceful reunification. Otherwise, to forsake the principle of one China and create "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan" will end up with Taiwan moving towards independence. Inevitably this will seriously aggravate the relationships between the two sides of the Straits, jeopardize the fundamental interests of the people on the two sides of the Straits and ruin the good prospects of peaceful reunification.