Says anti- succession law not a war bill

Prime Minister Wen Jiabao on Monday defended a newly approved law that could authorize a military attack to prevent Taiwan from seeking independence, saying it was intended to ensure peace, not promote war.

“ It is not a war bill,” Wen said at a televised news conference after the closing of this year’s session of the National People’s Congress.

Wen also criticized as outside interference a recent joint security declaration by the United States and Japan that listed a peaceful Taiwan Strait as a common objective. His comments came about an hour after the National People’s Congress overwhelming approved the law. It grants legal authority to the top leaders to attack Taiwan if they believe the disputed island territory is moving too far toward independence. Officials in Taiwan and the United States have criticized the law as overtly provocative and warned it could further destabilize the fragile status quo in the Taiwan Strait.