China passes new national security law extending control over Internet

China has passed a wide-ranging national security law expanding its legal reach over the Internet and even outer space as concerns grow about ever-tighter limits on rights. Since Xi Jinping came to power, the ruling Communist party has overseen a crackdown on activists, while unrest related to the mainly Muslim region of Xinjiang has worsened and spread. Zheng Shuna, a senior official at the National People’s Congress (NPC), said: “China’s national security situation has become increasingly severe.” The NPC standing committee passed the law by 154 votes to none with one abstention, officials at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing said.

The legislation is extensive and couched in general terms, with few exact details such as the sentences for violators. The practice, which leaves the authorities ample room for interpretation, is common in China, with the government issuing detailed regulations later. The law vows to “protect people’s fundamental interests”, the state news agency Xinhua said, including “sovereignty, unification, territorial integrity ... (and) sustainable development”. It declares both cyberspace and outer space to be part of China’s national security interest, along with the ocean depths and polar regions, where Beijing has been extending its exploratory activities. The text requires key internet and information systems to be “secure and controllable”, Xinhua said, potentially raising concerns for foreign technology companies. Zheng said the Internet, which is subject to strict censorship in China, was “a significant infrastructure facility of the country” and Beijing’s sovereignty over it should be “respected and maintained”.