Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

KEY POINTS OF BEIJING'S ANTI-SECESSION LAW UNVEILED

ROC Central News Agency

2005-03-08 13:04:49

    Beijing, March 8 (CNA) China unveiled Tuesday the key points of its proposed anti-secession law, including authorizing the State Council and the Central Military Commission to take "non-peaceful" action against Taiwan in certain situations.

    Wang Zhaoguo, a vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress -- China's rubber-stamp parliament -- unveiled the highlights of the controversial draft law in a report at the parliament's ongoing plenary session.

    Wang said peaceful reunification and the "one country, two systems" scheme are Beijing's basic approach to achieving "peaceful reunification."

    However, he also stressed that China is entitled to use force to check secessionist activities. "Using non-peaceful means to stop secession in defence of our sovereignty and territorial integrity would be a last resort for us, after all our efforts for a peaceful reunification proved futile, " Wang told mainland lawmakers.

    He said the draft legislation, which is expected to be passed next week, provides for the use of force "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."

    Beijing has yet to publicize the full text of the so-called anti-secession law targeting Taiwan.

    Wang's report focused on explaining the necessity and feasibility of enacting the proposed law, the purpose and the scope of the law, the nature of the so-called Taiwan issue, measures to realize peaceful unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and the use of "non-peaceful" means to stop secession activities.

(By Sofia Wu)

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