BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Lawmakers of China's top legislature, the
National People's Congress (NPC), Tuesday voiced unanimous support for the draft
Anti-Secession Law aimed at checking Taiwan's secession from the country,
calling it a manifestation of the entire Chinese people's common will to seek
peaceful reunification and defend territorial integrity.
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.