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The top lawmaker of Madagascar on Wednesday pledged firm support for the Anti-Secession Law that the National People's Congress (NPC) adopted earlier this month with the aim to prevent Taiwan's secession from China and promote national reunification.
Jean Rahiniriko, president of the National Assembly of Madagascar, told Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, during a meeting that it is common international practice to prevent secession and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity through legislation.
The government, parliament and people of Madagascar firmly support the Anti-Secession Law, and support China's reunification cause, he said.
Madagascar is the latest country to have voiced such support. Various nations in Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe have already expressed their support.
China has said the law is by no means a so-called "law on the use of force against Taiwan" or a so-called "war mobilization order." The law stipulates that China would only use "non-peaceful means" to stop Taiwan's secession should all efforts for a peaceful reunification prove futile.
The Taiwan issue is one left over from China's civil war of the late 1940s. China has said that resolution of the Taiwan issue as well as accomplishment of China's complete reunification is one of the three historic tasks of the Communist Party of China and the country.
Over the years, China has made great effort to develop closer relations between the two sides across the Taiwan Straits and promote a peaceful reunification of the motherland.
However, the Taiwan authorities have intensified their "Taiwan independence" activities aimed at making Taiwan secede from China. Thus the secessionist movement poses a "grave" threat to China's sovereign and territorial integrity, China's lawmakers have said.
Wu Bangguo said as China and Madagascar have maintained 33 years of full diplomatic relations, the two countries should strengthen their relationship in all areas.
"As two developing nations, both China and Madagascar are faced with the task of economic development, improving people's livelihood, democracy and legislation," Wu said. "So it will serve the common interest of our two peoples to promote a cooperative relationship between us."
The Madagascan top lawmaker began his first visit to China Saturday. Prior to the meeting on Wednesday, he had visited south China's Guangdong Province and Shanghai in the east.
(Xinhua News Agency March 24, 2005)
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