Here’s the latest issue of our newsletter, where we discuss provisions in two newly updated laws that concern the Chinese Communist Party’s role in neighborhood governance and a draft law that could potential weaken environmental public interest litigstion in China. open.substack.com/pub/npcobser...

NEW: On Friday, Nov. 14, the State Council approved a draft revision to China's Trademark Law [商标法] and decided to submit it to the NPC Standing Committee for deliberation. Initial legislative review could occur as soon as late December. npcobserver.com/legislation/...

China's new Public Health Emergency Response Law [突发公共卫生事件应对法] and Law on Publicity and Education on the Rule of Law [法治宣传教育法] just took effect on November 1. We briefly discussed both in our recent newsletter: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/september-...

We have prepared a chart comparing the 2016 Law with the three available versions of the amendments: npcobserver.com/wp-content/u...

Full text of the Law as amended is available here: zh.wikisource.org/wiki/%E4%B8%... *⚠️ Note this is NOT the official full text and there might be errors in internal cross-references and article numbering* (yes we did make it)

NEW: On Oct. 28, China passed the first amendments to its 2016 Cybersecurity Law, effective Jan. 1, 2026: www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c2/c3083... Bill page with legislative records and past drafts: npcobserver.com/legislation/...

NEW: Following personnel changes to the CCP Central Military Commission at the Fourth Plenum, on Oct. 28 China's national legislature appointed Zhang Shengmin as a vice chairman of the PRC Central Military Commission while removing He Weidong from that body. www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c2/c3083...

NEW: China's national legislature is seeking public comment on 4 bills—new draft laws on procuratorate-initiated public interest litigation & arable land protection + 2 parts of the draft Environmental Code—for public comment through Nov. 26: npcobserver.com/2025/10/28/c...

Read a bilingual version of the decision here: npcobserver.com/legislation/...

BREAKING: The PRC national legislature today adopted a decision designating October 25 (tomorrow) as the annual Taiwan Retrocession Day 台湾光复日. 80 years ago tomorrow, Japanese forces in Taiwan surrendered to the Republic of China following Japan’s defeat in WWII. www.news.cn/politics/202...

Our latest newsletter in which we discussed four bills that passed last month: Food Safety Law amendments, Public Health Emergency Response Law, Law on Publicity and Education on the Rule of Law, and National Parks Law: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/september-...

Our latest newsletter in which we discussed four bills that passed last month: Food Safety Law amendments, Public Health Emergency Response Law, Law on Publicity and Education on the Rule of Law, and National Parks Law: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/september-...

𝘕𝘗𝘊 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳 turns 𝟡 today! 🎉

𝘕𝘗𝘊 𝘖𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘳 turns 𝟡 today! 🎉

China's national legislature will next meet on October 24-28. On the agenda: a new law governing procuratorate-initiated public interest litigation, another on protecting arable land, amendments to Cybersecurity Law, among others. Here's our report: npcobserver.com/2025/10/15/c...

China's national legislature will next meet on October 24-28. On the agenda: a new law governing procuratorate-initiated public interest litigation, another on protecting arable land, amendments to Cybersecurity Law, among others. Here's our report: npcobserver.com/2025/10/15/c...

China's revised Anti–Unfair Competition Law [反不正当竞争法] takes effect today (Oct. 15): npcobserver.com/legislation/...

Happy October! China's revised Anti–Unfair Competition Law takes effect on October 15. The Communist Party will approve its recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan on October 23. The NPC Standing Committee will meet late this month. For details 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/09/30/n...

Oh look, it’s the 人民大贿堂

Jerry was one of the biggest supporters of NPC Observer, always sharing and promoting our work. We will miss him dearly. www.wsj.com/world/china/...

NEW: Last month, China's National People's Congress quietly rolled out major upgrades to the National Database of Laws and Regulations. Check out what's new and what's coming next 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/09/22/c...

NEW: Last month, China's National People's Congress quietly rolled out major upgrades to the National Database of Laws and Regulations. Check out what's new and what's coming next 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/09/22/c...

NEW: The State Council on Friday green-lit a draft revision to China's Banking Supervision and Administration Law [银行业监督管理法]. The initial legislative review is likely to occur in late October and in any event by the end of the year. npcobserver.com/legislation/...

The NPC has released an updated list of China's national laws, now at 309: www.npc.gov.cn/npc/c2/c3083.... See our bilingual version: npcobserver.com/legislation/...

ICYMI: China's #NPC news from last Friday: The NPC Standing Committee passed 6 bills (full text and legislative records available on the linked pages below): 1️⃣ Atomic Energy Law 原子能法, effective Jan. 15, 2026: npcobserver.com/legislation/...

ICYMI: China's #NPC news from last Friday: The NPC Standing Committee passed 6 bills (full text and legislative records available on the linked pages below): 1️⃣ Atomic Energy Law 原子能法, effective Jan. 15, 2026: npcobserver.com/legislation/...

So grateful to write for @dissentmag.bsky.social's Fall 2025 issue "Authoritarianism and Resistance." I drafted the piece in June with the new school year in mind, as an immigrant scholar severed from her homeland: What can we teach the young about how to exist and persist at this historic juncture?

Chinese legislature today announces that it's reviewing two more important bills at an already blockbuster session: a law on promoting ethnic unity and progress & an overhaul of China's Foreign Trade Law. See our coverage for more 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/09/08/n...

📣 In addition to previously announced agenda items, China's national legislature this week is also reviewing a draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress and a draft revision to the Foreign Trade Law. We'll have more coverage shortly. npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

China's national legislature, #NPC Standing Committee, is in session today through Friday, September 12. Here's our preview of its agenda: npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

Apropos of nothing, starting 2026, it'll be an offense in China to spread speech (incl. images & AV materials) that "promote or glorify wars of aggression or acts of invasion" (esp. Sino-Japanese War during WWII) or publicly wear clothing or items of a similar nature. npcobserver.com/2025/08/18/c...

Apropos of nothing, starting 2026, it'll be an offense in China to spread speech (incl. images & AV materials) that "promote or glorify wars of aggression or acts of invasion" (esp. Sino-Japanese War during WWII) or publicly wear clothing or items of a similar nature. npcobserver.com/2025/08/18/c...

China's revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases [传染病防治法] takes effect today. The revision was adopted in April to improve China's legal framework on epidemic response in light of COVID-19. Here's our earlier coverage: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/april-2025...

China's revised Law on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases [传染病防治法] takes effect today. The revision was adopted in April to improve China's legal framework on epidemic response in light of COVID-19. Here's our earlier coverage: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/april-2025...

Last week, Xiamen, legislating as a special economic zone (SEZ), passed China's second piece of personal bankruptcy legislation, after Shenzhen in 2020. The "Shenzhen exception" to the NPC's exclusive power over bankruptcy has apparently been extended to all SEZs. www.xmrd.gov.cn/xwzx/qwfb/20...

Today, China's national legislature announced its next meeting on Sept. 8–12. A whopping 16 bills are on the agenda, including the first substantive updates to China's laws on cybersecurity, bankruptcy, standard Chinese language, and environmental tax. Our preview: npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

Today, in Part 2 of our coverage of China's new public security offenses law, we take a more comprehensive look at the overhaul: changes to general provisions on jurisdiction and leniency, dozens of new offenses, and various procedural reforms. 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

Today, China's national legislature announced its next meeting on Sept. 8–12. A whopping 16 bills are on the agenda, including the first substantive updates to China's laws on cybersecurity, bankruptcy, standard Chinese language, and environmental tax. Our preview: npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

Today, in Part 2 of our coverage of China's new public security offenses law, we take a more comprehensive look at the overhaul: changes to general provisions on jurisdiction and leniency, dozens of new offenses, and various procedural reforms. 👇 npcobserver.com/2025/08/26/c...

Because the Council of Chairpersons didn't meet to schedule the next NPC Standing Committee session today, the legislature is not expected to convene in August and will instead do so sometime in September (as in 2024). Unclear if it'll meet before or after the Sept. 3 military parade.

In June, China overhauled its public order offenses law for the first time in 20 years. The revision recalibrated administrative detention, enacted a compromise scheme to modestly expand hearing rights & grappled with proposed vague offenses. Part 1 of our coverage: npcobserver.com/2025/08/18/c...

The State Council's June 2025 report to the NPC Standing Committee on the development of new quality productive forces has just been released today. Here's a translation, for those interested: newsletter.npcobserver.com/p/translatio...

Excellent post. npcobserver.com/2025/08/18/c...

In June, China overhauled its public order offenses law for the first time in 20 years. The revision recalibrated administrative detention, enacted a compromise scheme to modestly expand hearing rights & grappled with proposed vague offenses. Part 1 of our coverage: npcobserver.com/2025/08/18/c...

Today, we posted the second major update of one of the most important pieces we've ever published: a profile of the Legislative Affairs Commission under China's national legislature. It's indispensable to the proper functioning—and to a full understanding—of the NPC. npcobserver.com/2018/06/25/c...

Today, we posted the second major update of one of the most important pieces we've ever published: a profile of the Legislative Affairs Commission under China's national legislature. It's indispensable to the proper functioning—and to a full understanding—of the NPC. npcobserver.com/2018/06/25/c...

NPC Calendar: August 2025 npcobserver.com/2025/07/31/n...