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NPC deputies applaud when the
National People's Congress adopted the Anti-Secession Law 2,896 to
nil in Beijing Monday. (Xinhua Photo) |
BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhuanet) --
China's parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), ratified the
Anti-Secession Law with an overwhelming vote of 2,896 to nil here Monday,
setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan's secession from China and to
promote peaceful national reunification.
President Hu Jintao signed a presidential order for theimmediate
promulgation of the law at Monday's session. The law became effective upon
promulgation.
The law, which consists of ten articles, provides for the legislative
purpose and scope of application of the legislation, the nature of the Taiwan
issue, achieving national reunification through peaceful means, and taking
non-peaceful means to stop Taiwan's secession from China by the "Taiwan
independence" secessionist forces.
NPC deputies burst into a storm of applause as the result of the vote was
announced, which was broadcast live through national television, radio and major
news websites.
Top legislator Wu Bangguo hailed the high support rate of NPC deputies for
the law demonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese
people.
"The Anti-Secession Law, adopted with such a high support rate from NPC
members, 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 a peaceful 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 safeguardChina'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.
"The promulgation and implementation of the law will have a major practical
and far-reaching historical impact on the development of cross-Straits
relations, peaceful reunification of the motherland, and opposing and checking
Taiwan's secession from China by secessionists in the name of 'Taiwan
independence'," Wu said.
It is also important for China's efforts to maintain peace and stability in
the Taiwan Straits, and to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity
as well as the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation, said Wu.
China has said the law is by no means a so-called "law on the use of force
against Taiwan" or a so-called "war mobilization order." China would only use
"non-peaceful means" to stop Taiwan'ssecession should all efforts for a peaceful
reunification prove futile, Wang Zhaoguo, vice-chairman of the NPC Standing
Committee,told parliament last week.
The Taiwan issue is one left over from China's civil war of thelate 1940s.
China has said that resolution of the Taiwan issue andaccomplishment of China's
complete reunification is one of the three historic tasks of the Communist Party
of China and the country.
Over the years, China has made great efforts in a hope to develop closer
relations between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and promote a peaceful
reunification of the motherland.
However, the Taiwan authorities have intensified their "Taiwan
independence" activities aimed at making Taiwan secede from China.Thus the
secessionist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces pose a "grave"
threat to China's sovereign and territorial integrity.
China has said resolving the Taiwan question is entirely an internal
affair, which "subjects to no interference by any outsideforces."
Beijing has rejected the recent remarks by the United States, which
described the law as "unhelpful" towards relations across the Taiwan Straits.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan last week called the US remarks
"irresponsible" and said China "demands" that the United States abide by norms
governing international relations, understand and support China's law-making
actions and not do anything that will "foster 'Taiwan independence' secessionist
activities" and harm China-US relations.
"The United States should safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan
Straits region and the healthy development of China-US relations through actual
practice," Kong said.
Residents in Taiwan interviewed by Xinhua called the law "mild and
rational" and hoped the law could "promote the development of cross-Straits
relations by legal means."
"I think this law will help create new opportunities for the development of
cross-Straits relations," said Chen Yuchun, director of the Graduate School of
American Studies of the Taiwan-based Chinese Culture University.
Learning some major points of the Anti-Secession Law, Jyh-huei Her,
chairman of the Taiwan-based Cross-Strait Economic & Trade Association, said
the proposed law embodies the "goodwill of the mainland." Enditem
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