China passes landmark law to battle terrorism at home and overseas
NPC Standing Committee approves China’s first counterterrorism legislation despite concerns about freedom of expression and intellectual property rights
Beijing will expand its counterterrorism apparatus and tech companies will have to hand over encryption keys on demand to security agencies following the adoption of the country’s first anti-terror law on Sunday.
The law, which goes into effect on January 1, also allows the People’s Liberation Army to take part in counterterrorism operations overseas, providing the missions are approved by the Central Military Commission and the countries involved.
A state-level leading group on counterterrorism will be established and governments of and above the city level will also need to set up affiliated agencies.
The law was passed unanimously by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.
One provision requires technology companies to share encryption keys and back-door access with state security agents seeking to prevent or investigate terrorists acts.
Critics said the law would threaten freedom of expression and intellectual property rights. US President Barack Obama said in March he raised his concerns about the law with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
But Chinese officials said on Sunday the requirement was necessary, and lawmakers had already taken the need to protect business interests into account.
