Nearly 3,000 NPC deputies of 35 delegations to the ongoing annual session of the legislature started to discuss the draft law shortly after hearing detailed explanations on the law Tuesday morning. Several panel discussions of the lawmakers were opened to domestic and foreign journalists.

　　"The Anti-Secession Law will provide a powerful legal weapon for opposing and checking the secessionist activities of the 'Taiwan independence' forces," said Feng Henggao, an NPC deputy from south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, during the discussion.

　　Accusing the "Taiwan independence" forces of seeking the "legalization of 'Taiwan independence'" by means of the so-called "rectification of Taiwan's name", "referendum" and "Constitutional reform", Feng pointed out that the secessionist forces in Taiwan had emerged as the biggest obstacle for China's peaceful reunification.

　　Wu Haiying, a lawmaker from northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, noted that every nation has the obligation to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow any external forces to interfere with its internal affairs.

　　"China belongs to the 1.3 billion Chinese people living on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, and it's the keen wish of the entire Chinese people to enact such a law," Wu added.

　　Zhu Mingshan, a lawmaker from northeast China's Jilin Province, underlined the Constitutional ground for the Anti-Secession Law.

　　"Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China. It is the inviolable duty of all Chinese people, including our compatriots in Taiwan, to accomplish the great task of reunifying the motherland," Zhu quoted the Constitution as saying.

　　According to Nan Ying, an NPC deputy from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, the draft Anti-Secession Law has not only manifested the "common will and firm resolve of the entire Chinese people" to safeguard state sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also reflected the Chinese people's "utmost sincerity and goodwill to seek the realization of the motherland's reunification by peaceful means."

　　Many lawmakers also hailed the draft law as having embodied the principle of "never sway in adhering to the one-China principle" and "never compromise in opposing 'Taiwan independence' secessionist activities."

　　"It's common knowledge to both the Chinese and foreigners that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's sacred territory. We shall never allow anyone to make Taiwan secede from China," said Shen Jilan from north China's Shanxi Province, who has been a deputy to the top legislature for 10 consecutive terms.

　　Zhao Keshi, a lawmaker of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) delegation, noted that it would be the Chinese people's last resort to use non-peaceful means to stop secession and defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity, "when all our efforts for a peaceful reunification should prove futile."

　　"The PLA has the resolve and capability to crush any attempt to split the motherland, and will resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and unification," Zhao said.