Taiwan slams China for using Anti-Secession Law to justify annexation

Taipei, March 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Friday criticized Chinese authorities for using the Anti-Secession Law to justify annexing Taiwan after Beijing's No. 3 official stressed the use of legal measures against Taiwan independence at a symposium marking the law's 20th anniversary.

"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) enacted the Anti-Secession Law 20 years ago intending to use it as a legal basis for annexing Taiwan," the MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-strait affairs, said in a news statement.

Without ruling out the use of military action, the law's "forced push for unification" not only violates international law but also goes against the universal values of freedom, democracy and human rights, the statement read.

"It [the law] has never been accepted by the international community or Taiwan," the MAC added.

Regarding the symposium held in Beijing to mark the 20th anniversary of the law's enactment, the MAC said it reiterated the "old rhetoric of opposing Taiwan independence and promoting unification while hinting at the possible use of non-peaceful means."

The MAC's response came hours after top CCP officials, including Zhao Leji (趙樂際), chairman of China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, delivered remarks on the law and its implementation at the symposium held on Friday morning.

"Over the past 20 years ... We have placed great emphasis on using rule-of-law approaches and measures to punish and deter 'Taiwan independence' while advancing national unification," Zhao said in a speech published by China's state-run Xinhua News Agency.

Zhao, who also serves as the third-ranking member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the CCP, added that it is a "must" to continue using rule-of-law approaches and measures to oppose Taiwan's independence and promote unification.

Those approaches and measures will have to be coordinated with "political, economic, military, diplomatic and public opinion efforts to maximize their effectiveness," he added.

Despite the tough words, Chang Wu-ueh (張五岳), director of Tamkang University's Center for Cross-Strait Relations, told CNA that the attendee levels and speeches at the symposium were as expected, indicating that there were no major changes in Beijing's policy toward Taiwan.

Chang pointed out that during the symposium marking the law's 15th anniversary in 2020, the highest-ranking Chinese official in attendance was Zhao's predecessor, Li Zhanshu (栗戰書), which shows that the overall ranking of officials at this year's event was the same.

However, he noted that the event signaled a greater emphasis on using legal measures to punish Taiwan independence and suggested that China may introduce additional laws targeting Taiwan independence in the future.

Asked why the symposium did not indicate a major shift in Beijing's policy toward Taiwan, Chang said it was primarily due to uncertainties in relations between the United States and China.

Enacted on March 14, 2005, China's Anti-Secession Law was established for "opposing and curbing the separatist forces of 'Taiwan independence' from dividing the country while facilitating the peaceful unification of the motherland," as stipulated in Article 1 of the law.

In addition, Article 8 of the law specifies that "the state shall take non-peaceful measures and other necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity" under conditions such as "the possibility of peaceful unification is completely lost."