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Two Sessions 2022
ChinaMilitary

Xi Jinping seeks to strengthen laws that regulate military engagements with other nations

  • ‘China should make more comprehensive the body of military laws and regulations that involve foreign countries, so as to better protect national interests,’ president says
  • Xi tells representatives at National People’s Congress that China must quicken “fundamental change” in how military is governed

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Chinese President Xi Jinping, also chairman of the Central Military Commission, addressing a plenary session of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army and People’s Armed Police Force at the National People’s Congress in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Xinhua
Jack Lau
Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Monday that China should strengthen the use and making of military laws when engaging with other countries.

“China should make more comprehensive the body of military laws and regulations that involve foreign countries, so as to better protect national interests through the use of law,” Xi said, as quoted by the state news agency Xinhua.

As part of efforts to elevate the role of laws in governing the country, Beijing has for years called for the prioritising of “foreign-related legal work”, including taking part in the making of international law; resolving disputes through treaties; and revising domestic laws to correlate them with those of other jurisdictions.

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The concept of “foreign-related legal work” has been applied mostly in international commerce, less used in reference to the rules of military engagement.

Members of a Chinese military honour guard marches past a poster depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping and slogans calling for loyalty and duty on Saturday in Beijing. Photo: AP
Members of a Chinese military honour guard marches past a poster depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping and slogans calling for loyalty and duty on Saturday in Beijing. Photo: AP
Xi, who is also the head of the Central Military Commission, China’s top military policymaking body, told military and paramilitary representatives at the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the Chinese legislature, that China must speed up the “fundamental change” in how the military was governed.
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