Success of China’s revised state secrets law depends on widespread publicity and education, says senior official

Head of the National Administration of State Secrets Protection wrote that public must know their obligations under amended Law on Guarding State Secrets

Changes include stipulation that personnel with access to classified information are banned from overseas travel without prior approval, even after leaving job

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China’s amended Law on Guarding State Secrets will come into effect in May. Head of the National Administration of State Secrets Protection says it’s crucial citizens are aware of their legal obligations. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 8:00pm, 28 Feb 2024Updated: 8:16pm, 28 Feb 2024

China’s top official responsible for managing state secrets has pledged to strengthen information protection for all areas concerning national security alongside a campaign to make the public aware of their obligations, after amendments to the country’s state secrets law were passed on Tuesday.

Li Zhaozong, head of the National Administration of State Secrets Protection, made the remarks in an article published on Wednesday in the Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily.

The amended Law on Guarding State Secrets will come into effect in May. Its full text was made public on Tuesday after the country’s top legislature approved proposed changes following a second reading of draft revisions during a two-day session.

It is the biggest revision in more than a decade to the law that was introduced in 1988. In October, lawmakers had the first round of deliberation on draft revisions that added a dozen new clauses to expand the depth and reach of the law’s coverage, ranging from education, technology and internet use to military facilities.

The amendments include a clause stipulating that personnel with access to classified information will be banned from travelling overseas without prior approval – even for a period after they leave the job or retire.

In the article on Wednesday, Li noted that the amended law had “important and far-reaching significance for building a firm defence for the security of state secrets in the new era”.

According to Li, it is necessary to build a “more scientific and comprehensive” system to manage state secrets so that “wherever the field of national security expands, the information security work will cover it”.

He said the law’s amendments focused on coordination with other laws relating to national security, forming “a rule-of-law synergy in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests”.