This Law is enacted for the purposes of maintaining national security, preventing and responding to biosecurity risks, safeguarding the lives and health of the people, protecting biological resources and the ecology and environment, promoting the sound development of biotechnology, boosting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, and achieving the harmonious coexistence of man and nature. The Law consists of 10 Chapters: General Provisions; Biosecurity Risk Prevention and Control System; Prevention and Control of Major New or Sudden Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases and Epidemics in Animals and Plants; Security of Biotechnology Research, Development, and Application; Biosecurity of Pathogenic Microbe Laboratories; Security of Human Genetic Resources and Biological Resources; Prevention of Bioterrorism and Biological Weapon Threats; Biosecurity Capacity Building; Legal Liability; Supplemental Provisions.
The Law shall govern the activities as scribed in Article 2, including: (1) Preventing and controlling a major new or sudden outbreak of an infectious disease or an epidemic in animals or plants (2) Researching, developing, and applying biotechnology (3) Biosecurity management of pathogenic microbe laboratories (4) Biosecurity management of human genetic resources and biological resources (5) Preventing the invasion of alien species and protecting biodiversity (6) Responding to antimicrobial resistance (7) Preventing biological terrorist attacks and defending against biological weapon threats; etc.
The central national security leadership institution shall be responsible for decision-making and deliberative coordination in national biosecurity work, research on the formulation and guide the implementation of a national biosecurity strategy and relevant major policies, coordinate major matters and important work in relation to national biosecurity in an overall manner, and establish a National Biosecurity Work Coordination Mechanism. The National Biosecurity Work Coordination Mechanism, composed of the health, agriculture and rural affairs, science and technology, foreign affairs, and other competent departments of the State Council and relevant military agencies, shall analyze and judge the national biosecurity situation and organize the coordination and supervise the advancement of national biosecurity-related work. An expert committee shall be established to provide decision-making advice on research on the national biosecurity strategy and the formulation and implementation of policies. The National Biosecurity Work Coordination Mechanism shall organize the establishment of a national monitoring and early warning system of biosecurity risks to heighten capabilities to identify and analyze biosecurity risks. The state shall establish national rules of access for animals and plants, products of animals and plants, and high-risk biological agents that enter the country for the first time or resume entry after a suspension. Persons, means of transport, containers, goods, objects, packaging, and ballast water discharges by ships on international voyages entering and leaving China shall meet China's requirements of biosecurity management. The health, agriculture and rural affairs, forestry and grasslands, customs, and ecology and environment departments of the State Council shall establish new or sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases, epidemics in animals and plants, entry and exit quarantine, and biotechnology environmental safety monitoring networks, organize the layout and construction of monitoring stations, improve the monitoring information reporting system, conduct active monitoring and pathogenic testing, and incorporate them into the national monitoring and early warning system of biosecurity risks. The state shall protect wild animals, strengthen animal epidemic prevention and prevents the spread of infectious diseases of animal origin; strengthen the management of the use and residue of antibiotics and other antimicrobial drugs, and supports the basic research and scientific and technological tackling of microbial resistance.