China's top legislator Wu Bangguo promised on Wednesday that the national legislature will do its best to reflect fully the common will of all Chinese people in making the anti-secession law.

The lawmakers will follow the Constitution and the central authorities' policies on Taiwan, Wu stressed at the closing meeting of the 13th session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The draft law will be submitted for deliberation at the third full session of the 10th NPC, slated for March next year.

Wu said that one of three major historic tasks of the Chinese government and the Communist Party is to achieve the reunification of the motherland. "We have made unremitting efforts with extreme sincerity to develop relations across the Taiwan Straits and promote the peaceful reunification of the motherland for a long time," he said.

However, in recent years, the Taiwan authorities have accelerated agitation for Taiwan independence, especially through the so-called constitutional reform.

Wu said that it is "absolutely necessary" to formulate the anti-secession law to curb the secessionists in Taiwan, promote the peaceful reunification of the motherland, maintain peace and stability across the Straits, safeguard China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and maintain the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation.

"Now the conditions for making the law are ripe," said Wu, pointing to the support of citizens, lawmakers and advisors on the mainland as well as of many overseas Chinese.

China's Constitution states that Taiwan is an indispensable part of China and realizing the reunification of the motherland is the sacred duty of all Chinese people, including the people in Taiwan.

Positions on the Taiwan issue of past central government leaders, together with state policies, the research of legal experts and experts in Taiwan affairs provide clear guidelines and a policy foundation for the formulation of the law, said Wu.

Peaceful reunification is the best way to maintain the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, and will be conducive to promoting cross-straits relations, safeguarding peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, he said.

"There is no one in the world who is more willing than us to achieve reunification through peaceful means. As long as there is a gleam of hope, we will try our best to achieve peaceful reunification and will never give up," said Wu.

"At the same time, it must be made clear that to maintain national sovereignty and territorial integrity is the core interests of our nation and the common obligation of all Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots," he said.

"No sovereign state will allow actions of secession, and every sovereign state has the right to take necessary means to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Wu.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2004)