James Haynes
The new Biosecurity Law ([生物安全法], Shengwu anquan fa, hereafter “Law”) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) went into effect on the country’s sixth National Security Education Day on April 15 (Xinhua, April 15). Adopted by the National People’s Congress (NPC) in October 2020, the Law is comprised of 10 chapters and 88 articles and stipulates the establishment of 11 basic systems for biosecurity risk prevention and control, including biosecurity risk monitoring and early warning, risk investigation and assessment, information sharing and information release (Xinhua, April 15). Just before its implementation, China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu (栗战书) called for the country to adopt a “holistic approach to national security and ensuring both development and security” upon implementing the Law (Xinhua, April 1).
