China passes national security law: Officials

An officer stands outside the Great Hall of the People, the venue of National People's Congress, China's parliament, in Beijing, June 18, 2015. China's legislature adopted a national security law on Wednesday that will enable authorities to "take all necessary" measures to safeguard territorial sovereignty and ensure full control over the country's Internet infrastructure. Picture taken June 18, 2015. Reuters Photo

China passed a wide-ranging new national security law on July 1, expanding its legal reach over the Internet and even outer space as concerns grow about ever-tighter limits on rights.

The rubber-stamp National People's Congress standing committee passed the legislation by 154 votes to nil with one abstention, officials said at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
 
Since President Xi Jinping came to power, the ruling Communist Party has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on activists, while unrest related to the mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang has worsened and spread.
 
"China's national security situation has become increasingly severe," said senior NPC official Zheng Shuna.
 
China was under pressure to maintain national sovereignty and at the same time handle "political security and social security, while dealing with internal society", she said.
 
It would "not leave any room for disputes, compromises or interference" when protecting its core interests, she added.
 
The legislation was both wide-ranging and couched in general terms, with few exact details. Sentences for violators are not specified, for example.
 
The law vows to "protect people's fundamental interests", the official Xinhua news agency said, including "sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity... (and) sustainable development".
 
It brings both cyberspace and outer space under the national security umbrella, along with the ocean depths and polar regions, where Beijing has been extending its exploratory activities.
 
The Internet -- which is subject to strict censorship in China -- was "a significant infrastructure facility of the country", Zheng said, adding that Beijing's sovereignty over it should...

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