China to fast-track biosecurity law in coronavirus aftermath

Epidemic has prompted authorities to speed up legislative process, lawyer says

Authorities will need to find a way to coordinate agencies responsible for overseeing the broad spectrum of areas under the new umbrella, researcher says

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China is putting biosecurity legislation on the front burner. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:00pm, 17 Feb 2020Updated: 5:02am, 18 Feb 2020

China plans to fast-track biosecurity legislation and elevate it to a national security issue in the wake of a coronavirus epidemic that has killed more than 1,700 and sickened over 70,000.

Addressing a meeting with top leadership in Beijing on Friday, President Xi Jinping said China needed to accelerate the introduction of a biosecurity law to safeguard national security. He also called for sweeping improvements to China’s health emergency response system.

Zhao Hongsheng, a lawyer with the Shanghai Zhao Hongsheng Law Firm, said the epidemic “has caused catastrophic results and has become a trigger to speed up the process of biosecurity law legislation”.

Zhao said that while China had some laws governing different areas of biosafety and security, such as prevention and control of the infectious diseases, wildlife conservation and emergency response, “an umbrella law on biosecurity will lay the legal foundation for a mechanism to deal with such national crises, mobilise all the necessary agencies and address controversial issues such as restrictions on personal freedom”.

“The US has laws on biosafety and biosecurity and a mechanism to deal with biosecurity threats, and China needs a systematic guarantee like the US,” he said.

Chang Jiwen, a deputy director at the research institute for resources and environment policies at the State Council’s Development Research Centre, said Kunming in Yunnan province would host a United Nations biosecurity conference in October, and the legislation would showcase China’s efforts in the area.