The Hindu : International : Bill authorises "use of force" over Taiwan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 09, 2005

International

International

Bill authorises "use of force" over Taiwan

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, MARCH 8. China intends to deploy "non-peaceful means" as the "last resort" to reunify the non-sovereign territory of Taiwan with the mainland.

Such means and "other necessary measures" have been provided for in the draft anti-secession law that is now being debated by the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament.

Explaining the salient features of the draft legislation, Wang Zhaoguo, Vice-Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said at a plenary session of Parliament in Beijing today that the use of "non-peaceful means" would be resorted to only "when all our efforts for a peaceful reunification should prove futile".

Possible scenarios

Emphasising that the ultimate option was designed solely to "protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity", Mr. Wang outlined the possible scenarios for "non-peaceful" action. One of them would be the action by the "forces" clamouring for "Taiwan independence", under "any name or by any means", to create the "fact of Taiwan's secession from China".

Another scenario would be the occurrence of "major incidents entailing Taiwan's secession from China". Yet another instance warranting the recourse to the final option would be that "possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted", Mr. Wang told the NPC deputies.

On the political logistics for the exercise of the option, "the draft legislation provides that the State Council and the Central Military Commission are authorised to decide on and execute non-peaceful means and other necessary measures and promptly report to the Standing Committee of the NPC".

Providing a glimpse of the precautions that China would take in any such situation, Mr. Wang explained that the draft law mandated that "the State shall exert its utmost to protect the lives, property and other legitimate rights and interests of Taiwan civilians and foreign nationals in Taiwan".

Ordained to "minimise losses" during such an operation, the Chinese state "shall protect the rights and interests of the Taiwan compatriots in other parts of China in accordance with law".

Without elaborating on the meaning of "the necessary measures" that could be contemplated in addition to "non-peaceful means", Mr. Wang said, "We have never forsworn the use of force" because no sovereign state could tolerate secession.

With Chinese spokespersons having already sought to allay international apprehension that the draft law was but a charter for possible military action against the U.S.-backed Taiwan, Mr. Wang said, "The Taiwan question is one that is left over from China's civil war of the late 1940s."

Asserting that the achievement of China's "complete reunification" though a resolution of the Taiwan issue was Beijing's "internal affair", he said "we will not submit to any interference by outside forces".

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