Chinese lawmakers review proposed changes to state secrets law amid national security push

China’s top legislative body considers first draft of revision that would reaffirm Communist Party control over information security
Proposal also stipulates government support for research and use of technology and says secrets will be automatically declassified when period expires

China’s Communist Party

Yuanyue Dangin Beijing

Published: 10:18pm, 24 Oct 2023

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China’s top lawmakers have reviewed the first draft of a revised state secrets law that would reaffirm the ruling Communist Party’s control over information security and improve how state secrets are managed.

State broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Tuesday that a first draft of the revised law on safeguarding state secrets was reviewed by lawmakers at a meeting of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, the country’s top legislative body.

Details of the draft have not yet been released, but according to a report on Friday by the state-run Xinhua news agency, the revised law would add new provisions to reaffirm the party’s control over all matters related to information security and, for the first time, stipulate government support for research and use of critical information security technologies.

Xinhua said the changes to the law would also require marking electronic documents related to state secrets as such and requiring government agencies to conduct annual audits of state secrets for which they are responsible.

The new draft also states that a state secret will be automatically declassified when the classification period expires.

Xinhua reported that the new regulations establish standards for classified information systems and require that these systems not contain hidden risks.

China’s current state secrets law, which deals with the definition, management and protection of state secrets, was enacted in May 1989 and underwent a major revision in 2010.

As geopolitical tensions between China and the United States and its allies have grown, Beijing has sought to refine its laws related to national security.

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In April, lawmakers at an NPC Standing Committee meeting approved a revised version of the counter-espionage law, which was followed by a massive propaganda campaign by the country’s national security agencies.

State Security Minister Chen Yixin called on state security agencies to “crack down” on those who might steal China’s national secrets, citing risks arising from a more unpredictable global environment.

In addition to reviewing the draft revisions to the state secrets law, the legislature adopted a law on patriotic education and a revision of the Marine Environment Protection Law.

The NPC also considered a draft of a new food security law and proposed revisions to the Organic Law of the State Council, which clarify that the governor of the People’s Bank of China is a member of the Chinese cabinet.

Revisions to China’s national laws are usually considered three times, and the drafts are released to the public at some point during the revision process.