Too many documents are classified as secret, former top diplomat says
Fu Ying said “state secrets that are too widely ranged cannot be effectively managed".
A former senior diplomat has proposed narrowing the scope of state secrets, state-run media has reported.
Fu Ying spoke out during a discussion of the draft Counterespionage Law which sets out tougher security powers against spying.
She said leaking confidential documents for money is one of the most common illegal acts committed by government workers. With China becoming increasingly involved in international affairs, there has been an increasing number of documents to handle.
“State secrets that are too widely ranged cannot be effectively managed,” said Fu, the chairwoman of the National People’s Congress Foreign Affairs Committee, told the ongoing bimonthly session of the NPC Standing Committee, according to state-owned Xinhua.
Fu, a lawmaker and former vice foreign minister, also pointed out that standards for classified documents in China are “relatively low”, and many documents are classified as state secrets owing to the departments which are handling them, rather than their content.
Professor Wang Hongwei, of Renmin University of China, agreed the scope of state secrets was too broad and had hindered participation in public affairs.
“Some documents such as emergency response plans should not be classified as the public has the right to know and participate in the decision-making process,” Wang said.
