State security legislation makes strides, official says

Opinions from public and range of experts are being considered to improve existing law

China's top legislative body made great strides in national security legislation last year, an official of the legislature's legal affairs authority said.

In 2015, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress discussed at least five security-related laws, such as the National Security Law, the Anti-Terrorism Law and an amendment to the Criminal Law, Liang Ying, director of the research office of the committee's Legislative Affairs Commission, said ahead of the annual two sessions of the country's top legislature and political advisory body.

The laws will enforce the national security concept put forward by the central leadership in 2014, as well as establish a State security system, Liang said.

"The security-related legislation, in fact, was a shorthand in the past, because we often solved security problems in administrative ways," he said. "But now, we have put them on the road toward the rule of law, hoping to deal with related problems in legal ways."

Li Shouwei, deputy director of the Office for Criminal Law under the commission, spoke highly of the Anti-Terrorism Law that took effect on Jan 1.

"The law is essential for the country's legal framework and is an improvement to the National Security Law," Li said. "Compared with the past, when we didn't have such a special law, we've now defined terrorism and clarified our attitude to terrorists.

"What's more, some specifics, like crime prevention, information sharing and international cooperation have been made clear in the legislation."

He said the committee opened its door to the public and security insiders while making the law.

"We delivered the draft of the law to central government departments and academies to solicit advice after it was discussed for the second time in February last year, as well as invited some NPC deputies and officials in judicial organs like public security bureaus and courts to share their opinions."

Other security-related legislation, such as for cybersecurity, is still being studied, the commission said.

The improvement in security-related legislation will be a major task for the commission in the coming years, it added.

caoyin@chinadaily.com.cn