From Reuters: “Taiwan condemned China’s proposed anti-secession law on Saturday, calling it a move to establish a legal basis to attack the island.

Chinese state media said on Friday that Beijing planned to send the draft law for deliberation during a parliament session on Dec. 25-29. It was seen as a move to head off a formal declaration of Taiwan independence from the mainland.”

Taipei Times had an article entitled: Chinese law `endangers status quo’. And here is the US State Department has to say about this:

Daily Press Briefing
Richard Boucher, Spokesman
Washington, DC
December 17, 2004

(Excerpt)

QUESTION: Can I change subjects? Richard, on China. China is considering a new law against any split of national territory, and this seems to be, you know, targeting Taiwan. I wonder, does the U.S. Government have any position on that? Would that be a challenge for the status quo?

MR. BOUCHER: We have seen the press reports. We’ve had some conversation with the Chinese about the idea that they would have a new law on anti — I guess an anti-secession law. We have not seen the law. We have not seen the legislation, had a chance to study it, so we are not in a position to comment in any detail.

But I would repeat our longstanding position that we’ve stated many times, whether — whatever was being contemplated in this regard, and that is that both sides should really focus on engaging in dialogue, try to peacefully resolve their differences. Neither side should do anything to unilaterally change the status quo. So we think it’s the time to focus on dialogue and not for hardening of positions.

QUESTION: Taiwan’s minister — you know, spokesman, the Minister of the Foreign Affairs said they talked to the U.S. Government and got the impression that U.S. is against this law. I wonder can I confirm with you that?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, we certainly keep in touch with all of the parties on this subject. It has come up in the last few days and we’ve kept in touch with — as I’ve said, we’ve talked to the Chinese and we’ve talked to some people in Taiwan and we’re following this development, but our view is the one that I just stated and the view that I think we stated in other cases and matters that have arisen like this, that we think it’s important for both sides to focus on dialogue. It’s not time to harden positions or take unilateral stances.

QUESTION: Change of subject. In Iraq —

QUESTION: Can I have a follow-up?

MR. BOUCHER: Sure.

QUESTION: So, I mean, I understand U.S. policy’s One China policy and maintaining status quo, but obviously the Chinese effort to this law is to anti-secession. So would you see this coinciding with the U.S. policy?

MR. BOUCHER: We’ll have to see the actual text of the legislation. In terms of the step being taken, we’ve encouraged the parties to look for dialogue and not to look for staking out positions or hardening their positions.

QUESTION: An enacting of such a law is hardening the position?

MR. BOUCHER: I’d just leave it at what I said. I think we said the same thing in other cases as well