BBC World News:

China parliament to debate Taiwan
Security has been tightened in the Chinese capital
China's parliament, the National People's Congress, is due to begin its annual session in Beijing.

Congress is expected to pass a new law aimed at curbing any bid by Taiwan for formal independence.

China views Taiwan as its territory, and regularly threatens to use force if the island declared independence.

The move has been criticised by Taiwanese politicians who say it will set out a legal basis for a possible Chinese invasion of the island.

But a Chinese spokesman said the so-called "anti-secession law" aims to promote Taiwan's reunification with China and is not an order to prepare for war.

Defence hike

The country has insisted that the law is aimed at moving towards a peaceful reunification with Taiwan.

"Peaceful reunification does not mean that one side "swallows" the other, but that the two sides confer on reunification on an equal footing," Chinese President Hu Jintao said on Friday according to Xinhua news agency.

Earlier, a spokesman for the Chinese parliament, Jiang Enzhu, stressed in a news conference that the bill was not a "war mobilisation order".

But he also warned: "Taiwan independence forces and their adventurous moves have seriously threatened China's state sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Parliament is also expected to approve a 12% increase in its military spending.

Spotlight on Tung

The increase in defence spending is the latest in a series of regular cash infusions to try to upgrade and modernise China's army.

China's military has been modernising rapidly

Mr Jiang played down the significance of the rise, which will take official military spending to 247.7bn yuan ($29.9bn).

He said the money would help pay for more training and modern weapons, but stressed that much of it was needed to boost soldiers' pay and cover the social costs of cutting 200,000 personnel.

He added that China's defence spending was far lower than that of other major powers.

The political future of Hong Kong Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, whom the Hong Kong media say is set to retire, will also be in the spotlight.

Mr Tung, who is in Beijing for the meeting of the advisory body to the NPC, the CPPCC, is expected to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday afternoon and probably return to Hong Kong on Sunday, a government source told Reuters news agency.

Friday marked the formal resignation of another political leader - former Chinese President Jiang Zemin. He stood down from the last of his posts - chairman of the state Central Military Commission, a largely ceremonial panel.

China's Parliament to Taiwan: Hey, how YOU doin'?

Goddammit David, I told you to quit ripping me off!

http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/vie ... ht=#264469

It's been 50 years now. Nothing has changed. And nothing looks like changing.

Unfortunately. Most Favored Nation Status....what a fucking joke.

Let's face it. They've always been a nation. The commies staged a revolution and chased the Nationalist regime to Taiwan, and then proclaimed itself to be the People's Republic of China.