Spy Photo: VCG

The Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress has reviewed and passed the Anti-espionage Regulation, which will officially take effect on Friday. The regulation represents the first local legislation in China to be implemented following the revision of the Counter-Espionage Law.

The regulation consists of a total of 29 articles, drawn from an expanded Counter-Espionage Law which has been increased from five chapters and 40 articles to six chapters and 71 articles, representing a comprehensive revision and improvement of China's counter-espionage legal system.

As supporting local legislation for the new law, the regulation is focused on connecting and refining, serving as a legislative practice to construct a scientific, comprehensive, and efficient counter-espionage legal framework.

The new Counter-Espionage Law is the first targeted legislation in the field of national security after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. It is also the first law passed by the new session of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress. It has a symbolic significance in addressing the improvement of the country's national security legal framework. On July 27, in the same month as the implementation of the law, the Standing Committee of the Chongqing Municipal People's Congress reviewed and passed the accompanying regulation, laying a solid foundation for rapid supporting legislation based on preliminary research.

The revision and circulation of the new law provides a powerful legal weapon for deepening the struggle against espionage in the new era. Implementation, supplementary, and exploratory local legislation will compliment the regulation to ensure they are based on local realities, highlighting problem-oriented approaches, analysts said.

They further enhance operability and enforceability by improving the counter-espionage work mechanisms, refining counter-espionage security measures, strengthening the guarantee and assessment of counter-espionage work, and streamlining legal responsibilities.

The regulation provides clearer and more specific legislative guidance for carrying out counter-espionage work in Chongqing, the notice read.

Global Times