Top legislature passes Anti-Secession Law
(chinadaily.com.cn/Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-03-14 09:24

The annual session of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), voted to pass the Anti-Secession Law Monday, setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan from being seceded from China and promote peaceful national reunification.

A giant electronic board shows 2,896 deputies of the National People's Congress voted for the Anti-Secession Law, with two abstentions at the closing of annual session of China's top legislature in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 14, 2005. [newsphoto]

Of the deputies sitting at Monday's closing session at the Great Hall of the People, 2,896 deputies voted for the law, with no objections and only two abstentions.

Chinese President Hu Jintao has signed his name on the bill on March 14, 2005, and the law comes into immediate effect.

Using non-peaceful means to stop secession would be the last resort, when all efforts for a peaceful reunification should prove futile, the law says.

The act provides that in the event that the "Taiwan independence" forces should act under any name or by any means to cause the fact of Taiwan's secession from China, or that major incidents entailing Taiwan's secession from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, says the law.

Prior to the deliberation of the draft law, Chinese President Hu Jintao, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Communist Party of China, set forth his four-point guidelines for cross-Straits relations on March 4, stating that the Chinese people will do their best to seek peaceful reunification of the motherland but will never tolerate "Taiwan independence".

"We will continue to make our greatest efforts with the utmost sincerity to seek the prospects of peaceful reunification. Meanwhile, we will never tolerate 'Taiwan independence' and never allow the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces to make Taiwan secede from the motherland under any name or by any means," said Hu.

President Hu Jintao presses the button to vote at the closing of the annual session of China's parliament, the National People's Congress, in Beijing March 14, 2005. [Reuters]

Evidence has shown that the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces and their activities are increasingly becoming the "biggest obstacle for the development of cross-Straits relations" and the "biggest real threat to peace and stability in the region around the Taiwan Straits", the president said.

Hu urged the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces to abandon their secessionist stand and stop all "Taiwan independence" activities, saying that "we hope the leader of the Taiwan authorities could earnestly fulfill the 'five no's' commitment he reaffirmed on Feb. 24, as well as his commitment of not seeking ' legalization of Taiwan independence' through the 'Constitutional reform'."

"(We hope that he could) show to the world, through (his) own concrete action, that this was not an empty word or mere lip service which can be forsaken at will," Hu added.

Hu also emphasized that China is the home to the 1.3 billion Chinese people including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots, and both the mainland and Taiwan belong to the 1.3 billion Chinese people including the 23 million Taiwan compatriots.

"Any issue involving China's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be decided collectively by the entire 1.3 billion Chinese people," Hu stressed.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC standing committee, said the adoption of the law demonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese people.

Lawmakers from the military (R) and Taiwan (L) applaud after the Anti-Secession Law was adopted at the closing session of the annual session of the National People's Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing March 14, 2005. [newsphoto]

"The Anti-Secession Law, adopted with such a high support rate,has legalized the policy guideline of the central authorities on Taiwan, and given full expression to China's consistent position of doing the utmost with maximum sincerity for peaceful national reunification," said Wu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, after the law was ratified.

He said the adoption of the law also demonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese people to safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and never to allow the "Taiwan independence" forces to make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means.

Full text of the Anti-Secession Law

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