National Administration of State Secrets Protection

National Administration of State Secrets Protection

国家保密局
National Emblem of China
Agency overview
Formed	March 1988
Jurisdiction	China
Headquarters	49 Dongrongxian Hutong, Xicheng District, Beijing
Agency executive	Li Zhaozong, Director
Parent agency	Central Secrecy Commission General Office
Website	www.gjbmj.gov.cn

National Administration of State Secrets Protection
Simplified Chinese	国家保密局
Literal meaning	State Secret-Protecting Bureau
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guójiā Bǎomì Jú

The National Administration of State Secret Protection is an institution of the State Council of China that is responsible for the protection of classified information. It is under the Chinese Communist Party's Central Secrecy Commission. ^[1]

Under the "one institution with two names" arrangement, it is also the Office of the Central Secrecy Commission under the General Office of the CCP Central Committee. ^[2]

History

It's name was previously translated as the National Administration for the Protection of State Secrets.

Overview

Main article: Classified information: People's Republic of China

The administration is responsible for the protection of classified information. ^[3] The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China (which is not operative in the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao) makes it a crime to release a state secret. Under the 1989 "Law on Guarding State Secrets," ^[4] state secrets are defined as those that concern:

1. Major policy decisions on state affairs;
2. The building of national defence and in the activities of the armed forces;
3. Diplomatic activities and in activities related to foreign countries and those to be maintained as commitments to foreign countries;
4. National economic and social development;
5. Science and technology;
6. Activities for preserving state security and the investigation of criminal offences; and
7. Any other matters classified as "state secrets" by the national State Secrets Bureau. ^[2]

Secrets can be classified into one of three categories:

• Top secret (绝密): Defined as "vital state secrets whose disclosure would cause extremely serious harm to state security and national interests";
• Highly secret (机密): Defined as "important state secrets whose disclosure would cause serious harm to state security and national interests"; and
• Secret (秘密): Defined as "ordinary state secrets whose disclosure would cause harm to state security and national interests". ^[2]

References

1. "Decoding Chinese Politics: Party Center". Asia Society . Retrieved 11 October 2024.
2. Translation per Human Rights in China (pdf), State Secrets: China's Legal Labyrinth Archived 2017-11-18 at the Wayback Machine , (2007).
3. Richburg, Keith B. (5 July 2010). "China sentences American geologist to 8 years for stealing state secrets". Washington Post . Archived from the original on 12 April 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
4. Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, "Law on Guarding State Secrets Archived 2010-09-27 at the Wayback Machine " (中华人民共和国保守国家秘密法), promulgated 1988 and effective 1989.

External links

• Official website