The Hindu : International : Consensus on China's anti-secession bill

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Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

International

International

Consensus on China's anti-secession bill

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, MARCH 12. The National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top advisory body, today expressed "full support" for the draft anti-secession law, which is designed to keep the non-sovereign territory of Taiwan in line as an inalienable part of China.

The bill is expected to be voted upon by the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament, in Beijing on Monday.

The CPPCC, which brings together the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and the country's non-communist parties and people without political affiliation, acts as a "think-tank" for all the branches of Government under the system of "socialist democracy".

The proposed enactment, which the NPC has discussed in the past few days in formal sessions, provides for the use of "non-peaceful" means and other "necessary measures", as the "last resort", to bring about Taiwan's reunification with the Chinese mainland.

The relevant resolution, adopted by the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing today, under the chairmanship of Jia Qinglin, said the imminent legislation "manifests the common aspiration and firm determination of the entire Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and never to allow `Taiwan independence' secessionist forces to secede Taiwan from China in any name or by any means".

In a related development in Taipei, the Taiwanese President, Chen Shui-bian, said today that, in the face of the imminent Chinese legislation, the territory would sustain its policy of "reconciliation but no concession, steadfastness but no confrontation".

Amid indications that Taiwan might now stage military exercises with a view to "upgrading defence capabilities", Mr. Chen said the territory's ongoing move to procure "massive arms" from the United States "is part of efforts to build up an elite deterrent force" against China. Such a deterrence, he told the Taiwanese armed forces, would help underwrite his "goal" of setting up a "military buffer zone" in regard to China and a "trust and consultative mechanism" for dealing with Beijing on defence issues.

Tung's new post

China's top advisory body today elected Hong Kong's outgoing Chief Executive, Tung Chee Hwa, as one of three new vice-chairpersons of the CPPCC National Committee.

As part of what international observers regard as a "graceful exit strategy" for Hong Kong's controversial leader, Mr. Tung's resignation from the Special Administrative Region's top executive post was approved by China's State Council. He had cited health reasons for his resignation, tendered on Thursday.

AP reports:

Donald Tsang, a popular bow tie-wearing career civil servant, took over as Hong Kong's leader on Saturday.

Mr. Tsang declined to say whether he planned to run in the election, though he is widely expected to. He said the elected leader would serve until the next originally scheduled election in 2007.

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