China is to enact a law against secession, the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, announced in Beijing on Dec.17.

    The draft anti-secession law will be submitted for deliberation at the 13th session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee, scheduled on Dec. 25-29 in Beijing.

    The session agenda was adopted on Dec.17 afternoon at a chairmanship meeting of the NPC Standing Committee.

    Over the past year, quite a few Chinese lawmakers and senior government advisors have proposed that "a law on national reunification be enacted as soon as possible." According to media reports, Zhou Hongyu, a professor of the Central China Normal University and a deputy to the 10th NPC, was one of the first to table a motion calling for such a legislation during the NPC's annual full session in March this year.

    While visiting the United Kingdom in May this year, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also received similar requests from a group of overseas Chinese and Chinese scholars and students staying there.

    The premier promised them that the central government would "seriously consider" any proposal that is "conducive to the complete reunification of the motherland."

    It was also decided at Friday's meeting that the draft resolution on the convention of the third full session of the 10th NPC be submitted to the Standing Committee's upcoming session.

    The draft laws on civil servants, notary and renewable energy will also be deliberated for the first time, together with the law explanation on bank cards.

    The lawmakers will also review the draft amendment to the law on solid waste pollution prevention and the draft resolution on management of expert testimony.

    The State Council, or China's cabinet, will also submit to the session a report on rectifying and standardizing the order of market economy, and a report on conservation, protection and rational use of water resources. Enditem

Anti-secession law not applicable to HK, Macao SARs

   China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), explained in Beijing on Dec.17 that the anti-secession law it plans to enact will not be applicable to the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) of China. 

    "The draft law against secession is not applicable to the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR," said a senior lawmaker in charge of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the 10th NPC Standing Committee in an interview with Xinhua.

    The 10th NPC Standing Committee will examine the draft anti-secession law at its 13th session scheduled for next week, according to the decision made at a chairmanship meeting of the Standing Committee held in Beijing on Dec.17 afternoon.