The Anti-Secession Law (simplified Chinese: 反分裂国家法; pinyin: fǎn fēnliè guójiā fǎ) is a law of the People's Republic of China. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES It was passed by the third conference of the 10th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China (PRC). A similar term is "National Congress" which is a less common translation of People's Political Consultative Conference. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES It was ratified on March 14, 2005, and went into effect immediately. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hu Jintao, President of the People's Republic of China, promulgated the law with Presidential Decree No. 34. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist The President of the People's Republic of China ( literally Chairman of the Chinese People's Republic or abbreviated Guójiā Zhǔxí 国家主席 literally State Chairman Although the law, at ten articles, is relatively short, it was met with much controversy because it formalized the long-standing policy of the People's Republic of China to use "non-peaceful means" against the "Taiwan independence movement" in the event of a declaration of Taiwan independence. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a

Contents 1 Background 2 Content 3 Development 4 Reaction 4.1 Reaction in mainland China 4.2 Reaction in Hong Kong 4.3 Reaction in Taiwan 4.4 International response 5 References 5.1 Notes 6 See also 7 External links

Background

Main article: Political status of Taiwan

Taiwan was formally incorporated into the Qing Dynasty in 1680. The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Not to be confused with Qin Dynasty, the first dynasty of Imperial China It was then ceded by China to Japan in perpetuity in the Treaty of Shimonoseki of 1895. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Treaty of Shimonoseki ( Japanese: 下関条約 "Shimonoseki Jōyaku") known as the Treaty of Maguan ( in China was signed at At the end of World War II, it was then surrendered by Japan in 1945 to the Kuomintang Administration of the Republic of China. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES After the declaration of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Taiwan and some neighbouring islands continued to be controlled by Republic of China forces. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES In its official view, the People's Republic of China (PRC) government considers Taiwan to be a province of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. According to the PRC argument, the government of the Republic of China ceased to be legitimate following its retreat to Taiwan in 1949, and thus all sovereignty and governmental authority in China was automatically transferred to the PRC government, including that over Taiwan which was then under Republic of China's administration. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The official Republic of China (ROC) view is that it did not cease to exist in 1949 and has continued to function as a sovereign political entity in Taiwan to the present day, making the relationship between the PRC and ROC similar to that between other partitioned states (such as North Korea and South Korea). North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː The PRC's position has been acknowledged by most nations, often because of the PRC's One-China policy, although some nations prefer to take an ambiguous approach on this issue. The One-China policy ( is a principle that there is one China and that Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of Some Taiwan independence supporters oppose both PRC and ROC's claim to Taiwan and the legality of the Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a The Legal question of which legal entity holds De jure sovereignty over the island of Taiwan is a controversial issue

Multiple opinion polls conducted in Taiwan have indicated that there is very little support for immediate unification on the PRC's terms nor for an immediate declaration of independence^[1]. Polls have also consistently shown that a large majority of Taiwanese would support discussion of reunification only if the economic and political systems of the two sides of the straits were comparable^[2]. There is also a specific Chinese reunification of 1928. Chinese reunification ( is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to A majority of Taiwanese appear to support the "status quo" but there are different opinions in Taiwanese society, with the PRC, and in the international community over what the status quo is.

The re-election of Chen Shui-bian to the ROC Presidency^[3], led many to conclude that there was a growth in Taiwan independence sentiment and that a new Taiwanese identity is emerging on the island as opposed to identification with China. Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a In the 2004 ROC Legislative Election, the strategy of the pan-Green coalition was to try to capitalize on this trend to win a majority in the Legislative Yuan of Taiwan. The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Among some Taiwanese Independence supporters, it is believed that a pan-green majority could force a crucial referendum for constitutional reform and, perhaps, to further move the island toward de jure independence. The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Many Taiwanese independence supporters, including former President Lee Teng-Hui, argued that Taiwan should declare independence before 2008 on the theory that international pressure would prevent the PRC from using force against Taiwan. Lee Teng-hui ( POJ: Lí Teng-hui born 15 January 1923 is a Politician of Taiwan.

These events in late 2004 caused a great deal of alarm in Beijing. Observers indicated that many in Beijing believed that its policies toward Taiwan had failed both because it did not have sufficient incentives to gain Taiwanese public support and at the same time, it seemed that many in Taiwan did not take Beijing's stated threats to use force seriously. The ROC government on Taiwan had defined the status quo such a way that a de jure declaration of independence could be argued to not represent a change in the status quo. Some Chinese believe these events lead to the formulation in 2003 and 2004 of the Anti-Secession Law.

In early 2004 a similar, proposed law had already appeared. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Titled National Unification Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China (Chinese: 中华人民共和国国家统一促进法), it was authored by a Chinese academic Yu Yuanzhou (余元洲), a professor from the Jianghan University in Wuhan who does not have a formal governmental position, as a suggestion to create formal a legal basis for the People's Republic of China's unification with Taiwan. The proposed National Unification Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国国家统一促进法 is a document that appeared in early 2004 as a Jianghan University (江汉大学 is a local University under the city government of Wuhan. ( is the capital of Hubei province and is the most populous city in central People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Although no formal legislative action was taken on the document the heavy debate surrounding it and the suggestion that some sort of anti-secession law would be passed was viewed by many in Taiwan as evidence of hostile intent by the PRC government towards Taiwan independence supporters. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a

In December 2004 the ROC Legislative elections, although the ruling DPP party actually increased its share of votes in the legislature and remained the largest single party there, the pan-blue coalition maintained a razor-thin majority, which surprised many. The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang However, this result may have been less a reflection of popular sentiment than a testament to the effectiveness of the KMT's more frugal nomination of candidates (116) compared with the DPP's over-nomination of candidates (122) and the KMT's rigid party rules for allotment of votes to its candidates within individual districts. ^[4] This election result ended most prospects of an immediate declaration of independence and also called into question whether there really had been an increase in Taiwanese independence sentiment. Despite this, the PRC proceeded with the drafting of the law. The main reasons given to Western interlocutors was that the PRC leadership believed that its Taiwan policy in the past had been reactive rather than proactive and it was necessary for the PRC to show initiative rather than merely react to events. Furthermore, Beijing expressed residual distrust for Chen Shui-bian. Many Western experts have argued that the PRC's decision-making system was rigid, and that plans put into place to deal with a pan-green victory had simply developed too much momentum to be shut down.

In announcing the drafting of the law in December, 2004, the state press mentioned explicitly that the law was not intended to be applied to Hong Kong and Macau. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics.

Content

The Law is composed of ten articles. Articles one to five are aspirational. Articles six to nine set out in general terms the procedures for promoting cross-strait relations, negotiation, and resolution of the issue. History Before 1949 See also Article ten sets the date of operation.

Article one states that the aim of the law is to stop the Taiwan independence movement from splitting the country, and promote reunification. Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a There is also a specific Chinese reunification of 1928. Chinese reunification ( is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to Stabilizing the Taiwan Straits area, protecting the interests of the Zhonghua Minzu are also purposes of the law. The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180-km-wide (11185-mile-wide Strait between Mainland China and Taiwan. Zhonghua minzu ( Traditional Chinese: 中華民族 ( Simplified Chinese: 中华民族 Pinyin: Zhōnghuá Mínzú sometimes translated as

Articles two to four outline the PRC government's view of the present political status of Taiwan. The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory This view is that the Mainland and Taiwan belong to one China and that there is only one China and that the sovereignty of that one China is indivisible; the "Taiwan issue" is a residual problem of the Chinese civil war and is an internal affair of China. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

Article five maintains that the one China principle is the basis for resolution of the issue, and that the State must seek all possibilities of peaceful reunification. The One-China policy ( is a principle that there is one China and that Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of The same section also states that, following peaceful reunification, Taiwan will enjoy a high level of autonomy and operate under a system different to the mainland. Although this would appear to be similar to the "one country, two systems" scheme, highly unpopular in Taiwan, it is not so named. " One country two systems " is an idea originally proposed by Deng Xiaoping during the early 1980s then Paramount Leader of the People's Republic In addition, the law does not explicitly equate China with the People's Republic of China (referred to in the law as "the State"). China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES

Article six deals with cross-strait relations. It states that in order to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan straits and to foster cross-strait relations, the State should (1) encourage people-to-people contact to foster closer relations and understanding (2) encourage cross strait economic exchanges (3) encourage scientific and cultural exchanges (4) joint efforts to fight crime and (5) encourage efforts to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan straits.

Article seven deals with cross-strait negotiation. It states that the State shall support negotiations and consultations on both sides of the straits with equal status, with different modalities, and in differing stages. The topics of such talks can include (1) ending the states of hostilities across the straits (2) developing rules for cross strait relations (3) the means of promoting unification (4) the political status of the Taiwanese authorities, (5) appropriate means by which Taiwan can participate in international organizations, and (6) any other issues relating to unification. There are several notable aspects of this article. First, this is the first time that the PRC has officially spoken of talks between the Mainland and Taiwan occurring in terms of equal status. Second, the condition that Taiwan accept any form of the one China principle is not explicitly mentioned in the text, and the statement that talks can occur in different modalities and in differing stages suggests that Beijing is willing to start at least informal talks without requiring a one China commitment. The One-China policy ( is a principle that there is one China and that Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of

Article eight deals with non-peaceful action, and is the article which has caused the most controversy and attention. It states that the State shall use non-peaceful and other necessary means under these alternative conditions: (1) if "Taiwan independence" forces, under whatever name and method, accomplish the fact of Taiwan's separation from China, (2) or if a major event occurs which would lead to Taiwan's separation from China, (3) or if all possibility of peaceful unification is lost. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Article nine states that, in the planning and implementation of "non-peaceful and other necessary actions", the State must as much as possible act to protect the persons and property of Taiwanese civilians and foreigners in Taiwan, and to minimise their losses. The State must also protect Taiwanese interests in the PRC.

Under Article 18 of the Basic Law of Hong Kong and similar measures in the Basic Law of Macau, the NPCSC must explicitly designate a law as having force in Hong Kong or Macau for it to be operative there. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the Constitutional document No such designation was made for this law, which is consistent with statement in the state press that this law would not be directed at Hong Kong or Macau.

Development

In December 2004, the Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported that the National People's Congress in its upcoming session would enact an 'anti-secession law', without specifying further details. December 2004: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September A similar term is "National Congress" which is a less common translation of People's Political Consultative Conference. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity

In a rare moment of agreement, Taiwanese politicians from both the Pan-green coalition and Pan-blue coalition have reacted negatively towards this development. The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang Some politicians have proposed that Taiwan enact an 'anti-annexation law' to counter the proposed PRC law. Various opinion polls have revealed that 80% of Taiwan residents oppose such an 'anti-secession law' and a majority agree that a defensive referendum should be held in the advance of such a law to protect the status quo. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" [1]

President Chen Shui-bian commented on the 'anti-secession law' during his 2005 new year speech: "Such actions will not only unilaterally change the status quo of peace in the Taiwan Strait, but will also pose the greatest threat to regional stability and world peace. Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity " Whereas PRC President Hu Jintao said "We will definitely not allow anyone to separate Taiwan from China by any means. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist " in his New Year’s Eve speech. [2]

Although the PRC's official English translation of the law is the Anti-Secession Law, which is intended to invoke the actions of the southern Confederacy during the American Civil War, the Mainland Affairs Council on Taiwan has consistently translated it as Anti-Separation law as secession implies that Taiwan is a part of the PRC. The Confederate States of America (also called the Confederacy, the Confederate States, and CSA) formed as the government set up from 1861 Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC ( Traditional chinese: 大陸委員會 Simplified chinese: 大陆委员会 Hanyu pinyin: Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì}} is The Mainland Affairs Council and the government on Taiwan has argued that the relationship across the Taiwan strait is not analogous to the situation during the American Civil War since Taiwan was never part of the PRC. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC ( Traditional chinese: 大陸委員會 Simplified chinese: 大陆委员会 Hanyu pinyin: Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì}} is Causes of the war See also Origins of the American Civil War, Timeline of events leading to the American Civil War The coexistence of a slave-owning South This alternate translation is not commonly found in the international media.

Reaction

Beijing claims that this bill is the PRC's most sincere attempt at resolving the Taiwan issue peacefully (see Political status of Taiwan). The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory However, Taipei points to Article 8 as cause for concern. Taipei ( Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī Jhuyin Fuhao: ㄊㄞˊ ㄅㄟˇ ㄕˋ Hakka: Thòi-pet-sṳ has been the capital of Shortly after the bill was passed, ROC President Chen Shui-bian called for a National Security meeting in Taipei to discuss the issue. Chen Shui-bian ( born October 12, 1950) is a Taiwanese politician and former President of the Republic of China.

One major topic of controversy between Beijing and Taipei is to what degree the law changes the status quo in the Taiwan straits. Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" Beijing has maintained that the law preserves the status quo and creates no new conditions for the use of force. In contrast, Taipei has argued that the law does change the status quo and gave the People's Liberation Army a "blank check" to attack Taiwan. The People's Liberation Army ( PLA) ( is the unified Military organization of all land sea and air forces of the People's Republic of China.

Prior to the passage of the bill, a statement from Taipei's Mainland Affairs Council and a resolution overwhelming passed by the Taiwan legislature stated that the status quo is that the Republic of China is sovereign and independent. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC ( Traditional chinese: 大陸委員會 Simplified chinese: 大陆委员会 Hanyu pinyin: Dàlù Wěiyuánhuì}} is REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The statement and resolution were carefully worded to avoid disagreements between the pan-blue and pan-green coalition over whether the Republic of China has any residual sovereignty over Mainland China. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Mainland China, Continental China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term synonymous with the area that is under the jurisdiction

After the law was passed, the Mainland Affairs Council official referred to Beijing's definition of "one China" in the PRC law as fiction. Most of the statements from Taiwan were carefully worded to prevent escalation of already tense cross strait relations.

Reaction in mainland China

Reaction in the PRC was mostly consistent. State media and the Beijing leadership all stood firmly behind the new law and vowed never to allow anyone, using any means, to "separate Taiwan from China", in any name. The Chinese parliament voted in favor of the law 2,896 to zero, with two abstentions. In the run-up to the law's ratification, state media in the PRC accused those in Taiwan in favour of Taiwan independence of creating hostility to the new law and of confusing the Taiwanese into thinking that the law had hostile intent. Prior to passing the law, Hu Jintao in a speech outlined a four-point guideline to resolving the issue. Hu Jintao ( born 21 December 1942 is currently the Paramount Leader of the People's Republic of China, holding the titles of General Secretary of the Communist

Reaction in Hong Kong

At the time the unification law was proposed by legal scholar Yu Yuanzhou, the press in Hong Kong expressed concern that it would be legislation by stealth the anti-treason or anti-secession provision of the Basic Law Article 23 legislation in 2003. Hong Kong Basic Law Article 23 is the basis (parent statute of a Security Law proposed by the Government of Hong Kong. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. These concerns were addressed when a mainland official stated explicitly the law would not be added to Annex III of the Basic Law, which means that it would not be applicable to Hong Kong. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, or simply Hong Kong Basic Law, serves as the Constitutional document After the passage of the law in March 2005, there was very little reaction in Hong Kong and news of the law was far overshadowed by the resignation of Hong Kong's chief executive, Tung Chee-Hwa. Tung Chee Hwa, GBM (born 7 July 1937 Chinese calendar --> in Shanghai, China) was the first elected

Reaction in Taiwan

In Taiwan, the passage of the law was condemned by officials and politicians from both of the main political camps including the Pan-Green Coalition and the Pan-Blue Coalition, although there were differences in the content of the criticism. The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang Supporters of the Pan-Green Coalition tended reacted angrily to the spirit and content of the law as purported infringement of what they saw as Taiwanese sovereignty. By contrast, supporters of the Pan-Blue Coalition, while stating that they opposed the law and the threat of force against Taiwan, called for more dialogue with the PRC and pointed to parts of the law in which Beijing showed hitherto unseen flexibility.

Opinion polls indicated a widespread opposition to the law among the general public. Some questioned whether Beijing has the authority to issue such a law as Taiwan is not under the PRC jurisdiction (See Political status of Taiwan). The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory The Pan-Green Coalition, in particular, reacted with distaste and there have been calls for an "anti anti-secession law" to be passed by the legislature. The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the However, such a law is unlikely to pass, given that the "pan-blue" control the Legislature and that premier Frank Hsieh of the Pan-Green Coalition has ruled out officially introducing such legislation. Frank Chang-ting Hsieh ( Wade-Giles: Hsieh Ch'ang T'ing {{Unicode|Pe̍h-oē-jī}}: Siā Tiông-têng or Chiā Tiông-têng (born May 18, 1946 The Pan-Green Coalition ( or Pan-Green Camp, is currently an informal Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the On the other hand, Hsieh pointed out that the PRC law has already infringed the ROC sovereignty and that the situation has compromised ROC sovereignty and thus met the criteria for initiating a "defensive referendum". However, he added that whether a defensive referendum would be invoked is under the discretion of the incumbent ROC president. [3]

A protest march against the PRC law took place on March 26 and it was widely reported that one million Taiwanese participated in the protest. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Both the former President Lee Teng-hui and the incumbent President Chen Shui-bian joined the march. Lee Teng-hui ( POJ: Lí Teng-hui born 15 January 1923 is a Politician of Taiwan. However, Chen Shui-bian announced in advance that he would only attend the march without giving a speech. On the other hand, most politicians from the Pan-Blue Coalition did not participate in any protest march, although they claimed that they would not dissuade their supporters from attending if they ever wished. The Pan-Blue Coalition ( or Pan-Blue Force ( is a Political alliance in the Republic of China (Taiwan consisting of the Kuomintang The turnout of the march became a subject of political debate in Taiwan, with the mayor of Taipei city, Ma Ying-jeou, downplaying the participant number to around 270,000, while the march organizers claiming the goal of one million participants was reached. NOTICE***************

On March 25, 2008, DPP legislators tabled a bill titled "Anti-Annexation Peace Law" at the procedural committee level in the Legislative Yuan, which would have stated that Taiwan and China are not subordinate to each other; that Taiwan is a sovereign state; and that the relationship between Taiwan and China is one between two states. The Legislative Yuan ( is the Legislative body of the Republic of China (ROC which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and It would have expressed hope that the Taiwan issue be resolved peacefully, but that in the case of the status quo of the Taiwan Strait being changed, the President would have the power to deal non-peacefully with China's "annexation". The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait is a 180-km-wide (11185-mile-wide Strait between Mainland China and Taiwan. The bill was rejected at the procedural committee level by a vote of 11:2 and was not presented to the Legislative Yuan. ^[5]

International response

United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice commented the law as "not necessary," while White House spokesman Scott McClellan called its adoption "unfortunate," adding "It does not serve the purpose of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The United States Secretary of State (commonly abbreviated as SecState) is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with Foreign affairs Condoleezza Rice (born November 14 1954 is the 66th United States See also Executive Office of the President of the United States The White House, formerly known as the Executive Mansion, is the Official residence Scott McClellan (born February 14, 1968) is a former White House Press Secretary (2003&ndash2006 for President George W " In speaking about the law the United States repeated that it remained supportive of the One China policy as the US defines it, did not support Taiwan independence, and opposed any unilateral action to change the status quo. The One-China policy ( is a principle that there is one China and that Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan are all part of Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a Status quo is a Latin term meaning the present existing state of affairs or "the state in which" The United States House of Representatives approved a resolution criticizing China for the approval of the PRC law in Beijing. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. The resolution expressed grave concern about the law and said the PRC law provides a legal justification for PRC to use force against Taiwan, in its words, altering the status quo in the region. [4]

In response to the enactment of the PRC law, the European Union issued a statement urging "all sides to avoid any unilateral action that could stoke tensions," and recalled the "constant principles that guide its policy, namely its commitment to the principle of one China and the peaceful resolution of dispute. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in . . and its opposition to any use of force. " [5] [6] Later, on 14 April 2005, the European Parliament adopted an own-initiative report by Elmar Brok MEP, with paragraph 33 stating:

[The European Parliament expresses] its deepest concern at the large number of missiles in southern China aimed across the Taiwan Straits and at the so-called "anti-secession law" of the People's Republic of China that in an unjustified way aggravates the situation across the Straits; calls on the People's Republic of China and on the R. Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The European Parliament ( Europarl or EP) is the only directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union (EU Elmar Brok (born May 14, 1946 in Verl, Kreis Gütersloh) is a German Member of the European Parliament and the former Chairman O. C. in Taiwan to resume political talks on the basis of mutual understanding and recognition in order to promote stability, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in east Asia. [7]

The EU also decided to continue with the arms embargo, which had been imposed upon China after the Tiananmen Square Massacre and which had been set to expire in 2005. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 culminating in the Tiananmen Square Massacre (referred to in Chinese as the June Fourth Incident, to avoid confusion with two

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said "I wish both parties would work towards a peaceful resolution and I hope that this law will not have negative effects. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. is a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 2001 to 2006 "

Australian foreign minister Alexander Downer stated that if war were to occur in the Taiwan Straits, Australia would be required under the ANZUS treaty to consult with the United States but depending on the situation that it would not necessarily commit Australia to war. Alexander John Gosse Downer (born 9 September 1951 is an Australian Liberal politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December The Australia New Zealand United States Security Treaty ( ANZUS or ANZUS Treaty) is the Military alliance which binds Australia and He said that "we don't think that China should resolve the Taiwan status question militarily, that it has got to be done through negotiations with Taiwan". Downer further commented that Australia would have preferred it had China not passed the anti-secession law. [8]

Several other nations expressed support for China's anti-secession law, including:

• CIS nations: Russia [9], Belarus [10], Uzbekistan [11], Azerbaijan [12]
• Latin American nations: Cuba, Venezuela, and Dominica [13]. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Uzbekistan, officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( Uzbek: O‘zbekiston Respublikasi or Ўзбекистон Республикаси is a doubly Azerbaijan ( English; Azərbaycan officially the Republic of Azerbaijan (Azərbaycan Respublikası is the largest and most populous country in the South The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea.

• Asian nations: Indonesia [14], Cambodia [15], Nepal [16], Syria [17], Pakistan [18]

• Others: Ethiopia [19]

References

Notes

See also

• Political status of Taiwan
• Chinese reunification
• Taiwan independence
• Taiwan Relations Act
• Taiwan Province
• Taiwan Province, People's Republic of China
• Proposed National Unification Promotion Law
• Canadian Bill C-20 (law regulating a possible declaration of independence of Quebec)
• Secession

External links

• Report of Wen Jiabao on drafting and passing the law
• BBC News: China to enact anti-secession law (2004-12-19); BBC News: Taiwanese protest at China bill (2005-02-28); BBC News: China unveils controversial law; also: [20], [21], [22], [23] (all BBC)
• Taiwan News: Reaction in Taiwan
• Full text of the anti-secession law in English
• Wikinews:Hundreds of thousands protest anti-secession law in Taiwan
• People's Daily: Anti-secession Law will not be applied in Hong Kong and Macau (in Traditional Chinese)
• Xinhua: Anti-secession Law will not be applied in Hong Kong and Macau (in Simplified Chinese)

The controversy regarding the political status of Taiwan hinges on whether Taiwan, including the Pescadores (Penghu should remain effectively independent as territory There is also a specific Chinese reunification of 1928. Chinese reunification ( is a goal of Chinese nationalism that refers to Taiwan independence ( Pe̍h-oē-jī: Tâi-oân To̍k-li̍p ūn-tōng abbreviated to 台獨 Táidú Tâi-to̍k is a The Taiwan Relations Act is an act of the United States Congress passed in 1979 after the establishment of relations with the People's Republic of History In 1683 following a naval engagement with Admiral Shi Lang, Koxinga 's (Cheng Ch'eng Kung grandson Zheng Keshuang and ruler of Taiwan Taiwan Province of the People's Republic of China ( is a theoretical administrative Province of the People's Republic of China (PRC, covering an area over which The proposed National Unification Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China (中华人民共和国国家统一促进法 is a document that appeared in early 2004 as a The Clarity Act (known as Bill C-20 before it became law is legislation of Canada 's federal parliament that established the conditions under which the Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity

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