BEIJING, Dec. 17, 2004(Xinhuanet) -- China is to enact a law against secession,
the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, announced
here Friday.
The draft anti-secession law will be submitted for deliberation at the 13th
session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee, scheduled on Dec. 25-29 in Beijing.
The session agenda was adopted Friday afternoon at a chairmanship meeting
of the NPC Standing Committee.
Over the past year, quite a few Chinese lawmakers and senior government
advisors have proposed that "a law on national reunification be enacted as soon
as possible." According to media reports, Zhou Hongyu, a professor of the
Central China Normal University and a deputy to the 10th NPC, was one of the
first to table a motion calling for such a legislation during the NPC's annual
full session in March this year.
While visiting the United Kingdom in May this year, Chinese Premier Wen
Jiabao also received similar requests from a group of overseas Chinese and
Chinese scholars and students staying there.
The premier promised them that the central government would "seriously
consider" any proposal that is "conducive to the complete reunification of the
motherland."
It was also decided at Friday's meeting that the draft resolution on the
convention of the third full session of the 10th NPC be submitted to the
Standing Committee's upcoming session.
The draft laws on civil servants, notary and renewable energy will also be
deliberated for the first time, together with the law explanation on bank cards.
The lawmakers will also review the draft amendment to the law on solid
waste pollution prevention and the draft resolution on management of expert
testimony.
The State Council, or China's cabinet, will also submit to the session a
report on rectifying and standardizing the order of market economy, and a report
on conservation, protection and rational use of water resources.