Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo said on Sunday that his country fully supports China's Anti-Secession Law aimed at preventing "Taiwan independence."  

When meeting with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yongqiu in the presidential villa, Obasanjo said formulating the Anti-Secession Law "is very important" and "necessary to prevent 'Taiwan independence'."

Nigeria once suffered a lot from a civil war in the late 1960s when Biafra, one of the largest ethnic groups in the West African country, attempted to be independent, added the president, who is also the current chairman of the African Union,

The Biafran War, which lasted from 1966 to 1970, claimed thousands of lives and billions of naira (US$1 equivalent to 130 naira) of properties.

"I believe China's Anti-Secession Law will certainly help curb 'Taiwan independence' force on the island," he said.

Obasanjo reiterated Nigeria's adherence to the one-China policy, saying Nigeria strongly opposes "Taiwan independence" in whatever forms.

The National People's Congress, China's top legislature, last Monday passed the Anti-Secession Law that came into effect immediately after President Hu Jintao signed a presidential decree to promulgate it on the same day.

(Xinhua News Agency March 21, 2005)