Monday, March 14 2005 12:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: Chinese lawmakers today (Mar 14, 2005) unanimously passed a controversial law, which authorises use of military force to thwart Taiwan's moves towards independence.

Under the new Anti-Secession Law, Beijing can use "non-peaceful means and other necessary measures" to thwart 'Taiwan independence', to achieve national reunification.

Unfazed by US criticism, some 3,000 Chinese lawmakers endorsed the Anti-Secession Law tabled by the Communist Party led Government on the last day of the ten-day annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's Parliament at Beijing.

The deputies reached a consensus that it is a solemn responsibility placed by the Constitution on the entire Chinese people to resolve the Taiwan issue and complete the great cause of reunifying the motherland.

"In the event that the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces should act under any name or by any means to cause the fact of Taiwan's secession from China, or that major incidents entailing Taiwan's secession from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the State shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Anti-Secession Law States.

"The State Council (China's Cabinet) and the Central Military Commission (top military organ) shall decide on and execute the non-peaceful means and other necessary measures as provided for in the preceding paragraph and shall promptly report to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress," the law, which underwent five revisions, says.

The law gives the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) the legal basis for attacking Taiwan but Beijing insists that such "non-peaceful means" will be used only as a last resort.

It noted that recently the 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces have stepped up their activities to split the country, and have increasingly become the biggest obstacle for the development of cross-Straits relations and the greatest actual threat to peace and stability in the Taiwan straits.

China and Taiwan have been separately governed since a 1949 civil war, but Beijing insists the Island of 23 million people is a rebel province that must be reunified with the mainland, even by force.