RIYADH, 15 March 2005 — Chinese Ambassador Wu Chunhua says that the Anti-Secession Law passed by China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) yesterday has received broad-based understanding and support “of our action to oppose the secessionist activities in the name of ‘Taiwan independence’ and safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region.” The law which mandates the use of force should Taiwan declare independence reflects the will of the Chinese people, according to the ambassador who added that the use of force would be the last resort after all peaceful means had been exhausted.
The diplomat pointed out that the provisions of the law had given full expression to “our consistent position of utmost efforts and maximum sincerity for the prospect of peaceful reunification and at the same time, they have demonstrated the common will of the entire Chinese people to safeguard China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Facts have shown that this is a law meant to bring about peaceful settlement of the Taiwan question and achieve peaceful national reunification.”
The ambassador said the complete reunification of the country through peaceful means is the common aspiration of all the Chinese people. The law, he pointed out, clearly provides that “the state shall do its utmost with maximum sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification. It also defines efforts to encourage and promote personnel exchanges as well as economic and cultural interactions between the two sides, facilitate the direct links and protect the legitimate rights and interests of our Taiwan compatriots.”
According to the ambassador, the “Taiwan independence” forces have not refrained from secessionist activities and the root cause of tension in cross-Straits relations has yet to be eliminated. “In view of the immense destructiveness of the secessionist activities in the name of Taiwan independence to cross-Straits relations and the severe threat they pose to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and the Asia-Pacific region at large, the Anti-Secession Law has provided for taking non-peaceful means to stop Taiwan’s secession from China by the Taiwan independence forces”
The ambassador concluded by saying that any question concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be decided upon by all 1.3 billion Chinese people. The Taiwan authorities must abandon their secessionist position and stop all secessionist activities in the name of “Taiwan independence.” Only then can peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits be safeguarded.
