The draft of law against secession on Saturday was submitted for the first deliberation to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature.

Hu Kangsheng, director of the Legislative Work Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, explained the draft to the 13th session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee held here from Dec. 25-29.

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 plenary 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."

Source: Xinhua