CCTV-English Channel-dialogue

LIVE coverage of
the NPC session closing ceremony
Premier Wen Jiabao鈥檚 Press Conference

cctv.com 03-14-2005 09:10

CCTV International had LIVE coverage of the NPC session closing ceremony followed by press conference given by Premier Wen Jiabao.

March 14 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Beijing time (00:30-4:00 GMT)

Host:

Yang Rui

Guests:

David Mahon, Investment Manager of New Zealand

Qi Ye, Professor of School of Public Policy & Management of Tsinghua Univ.

Zha Daojiong: Current Affairs Analyst

Tao Wenzhao: Current Affairs Analyst

Topics:

Social Harmony and Discrepancies

Economic Policy Review

Taxation Policy

Anti-Secession Law Approved

China鈥檚 Top Legislature Ends 2005 Session

Premier Wen Jiabao鈥檚 Press Conference

China´s parliament adopts Anti-Secession LawVideo

China's parliament, the National People's Congress, adopted the Anti-Secession Law 2,896 to 0 here Monday, setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan from being seceded from China and promote peaceful national reunification.

China's top legislator Wu Bangguo said the adoption of the law emonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese people.

"The Anti-Secession Law, adopted with such a high support rate, has egalized the policy guideline of the central authorities on Taiwan, and given full expression to China's consistent position of doing the utmost with maximum sincerity for peaceful national reunification," said Wu, hairman of the NPC Standing Committee, after the law was ratified.

He said the adoption of the law also demonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese people to safeguard China's overeignty and territorial integrity and never to allow the "Taiwan independence" forces to make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means.

Full text of Anti-Secession Law

The following is the full text of the Anti-Secession Law adopted at the Third Session of the Tenth National People's Congress here Monday:

Anti-Secession Law

(Adopted at the Third Session of the Tenth National People's Congress on March 14, 2005)

Article 1 This Law is formulated, in accordance with the Constitution, for the purpose of opposing and checking Taiwan's secession from China by secessionists in the name of "Taiwan independence", promoting peaceful national reunification, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, preserving China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and safeguarding the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.

Article 2 There is only one China in the world. Both the mainland and Taiwan belong to one China. China's sovereignty and territorial integrity brook no division. Safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is the common obligation of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included.

Taiwan is part of China. The state shall never allow the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces to make Taiwan secede from China under any name or by any means.

Article 3 The Taiwan question is one that is left over from China's civil war of the late 1940s.

Solving the Taiwan question and achieving national reunification is China's internal affair, which subjects to no interference by any outside forces.

Article 4 Accomplishing the great task of reunifying the motherland is the sacred duty of all Chinese people, the Taiwan compatriots included.

Article 5 Upholding the principle of one China is the basis of peaceful reunification of the country.

To reunify the country through peaceful means best serves the fundamental interests of the compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits. The state shall do its utmost with maximum sincerity to achieve a peaceful reunification.

After the country is reunified peacefully, Taiwan may practice systems different from those on the mainland and enjoy a high degree of autonomy.

Article 6 The state shall take the following measures to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and promote cross-Straits relations:

(1) to encourage and facilitate personnel exchanges across the Straits for greater mutual understanding and mutual trust;

(2) to encourage and facilitate economic exchanges and cooperation, realize direct links of trade, mail and air and shipping services, and bring about closer economic ties between the two sides of the Straits to their mutual benefit;

(3) to encourage and facilitate cross-Straits exchanges in education, science, technology, culture, health and sports, and work together to carry forward the proud Chinese cultural traditions;

(4) to encourage and facilitate cross-Straits cooperation in combating crimes;

(5) to encourage and facilitate other activities that are conducive to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits and stronger cross-Straits relations.

The state protects the rights and interests of the Taiwan compatriots in accordance with law.

Article 7 The state stands for the achievement of peaceful reunification through consultations and negotiations on an equal footing between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. These consultations and negotiations may be conducted in steps and phases and with flexible and varied modalities.

The two sides of the Taiwan Straits may consult and negotiate on the following matters:

(1) officially ending the state of hostility between the two sides;

(2) mapping out the development of cross-Straits relations;

(3) steps and arrangements for peaceful national reunification;

(4) the political status of the Taiwan authorities;

(5) the Taiwan region's room of international operation that is compatible with its status;

(6) other matters concerning the achievement of peaceful national reunification.

Article 8 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 State Council and the Central Military Commission 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.

Article 9 In the event of employing and executing non-peaceful means and other necessary measures as provided for in this Law, 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, and to minimize losses. At the same time, the state shall protect the rights and interests of the Taiwan compatriots in other parts of China in accordance with law.

Article 10 This Law shall come into force on the day of its promulgation.

China´s top legislature closes annual sessionVideo

China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), closed its nine-and-half-day annual session Monday morning after it adopted a number of work reports and ratified the Anti-Secession Law.

The top legislature adopted the reports on the government work, economic and social development, the central and local budgets, and the work of the NPC Standing Committee and of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate.

NPC deputies during the session approved the resignation of Jiang Zemin from the chairmanship of the state Central Military Commission and elected Hu Jintao to succeed.

Following Hu's nomination, the top legislature agreed to add four new members to the state Central Military Commission. The top military commission now has 11 members, the highest number since the beginning of 1990s.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said in his closing speech that deputies to the top legislature "highly evaluated Jiang Zemin's outstanding contributions to the Communist Party of China (CPC), the state and the army, as well as the Chinese people."

Deputies also spoke highly of Hu's succession as chairman of the state Central Military Commission, which is an natural outcome as he already took the posts of general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, president of China and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.

"Comrade Hu Jintao's succession as chairman of the state Central Military Commission commends popular support and is conducive to upholding the principle of the Party's absolute leadership over the military, and to the strengthening of the military's revolutionization, modernization and regularization process," he said.

Deputies unanimously held that China, under the leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Hu Jintao as general secretary, had scored great achievements over the past year in its reform, opening and modernization drive.

The top legislature adopted the Anti-Secession Law 2,896 to 0, setting a legal framework to prevent Taiwan from being seceded from China and promote peaceful national reunification.

Wu Bangguo said the high support rate of NPC deputies to the law gave full expressions to the consistent stance of the Chinese mainland for peaceful reunification with its greatest sincerity and utmost efforts.

It also demonstrated the "common will and strong resolve" of the entire Chinese people to safeguard the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity and never to allow the "Taiwan independence" forces to secede Taiwan from China under any name or by any means.

"The promulgation and implementation of the law will have major practical and far-reaching historical impact on developing cross-Strait relations, peaceful reunification of the motherland, and opposing and checking Taiwan's secession from China by secessionists in the name of 'Taiwan independence'," Wu said.

Wu said it would also be crucial to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits, and to safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.

The NPC has 2,988 members and convenes an annual session usually in March. The NPC Standing Committee serves as the executive body when top legislature is not in session.

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Editor:Xiang Source:CCTV.com