Order of the President of the People’s Republic of China
(No. 17)
The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the People’s Armed Police Force, which was adopted at the 10th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China on August 27, 2009, is hereby promulgated and shall come into force on the date of promulgation.
President of the People’s Republic of China: Hu Jintao
August 27, 2009
Law of the People’s Republic of China on the People’s Armed Police Force
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Missions and Functions
Chapter III Obligations and Rights
Chapter IV Safeguards
Chapter V Supervision and Inspection
Chapter VI Legal Liabilities
Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is formulated for the purposes of regulating and guaranteeing the performance of functions by the people’s armed police force (PAPF) in accordance with law, maintaining the national security and social stability and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations.
Article 2 The PAPF shall execute the security protection missions assigned by the state, as well as defensive operations, disaster relief, participation in national economic construction and other missions.
The PAPF shall an integral part of the country’s armed forces.
Article 3 The PAPF shall be under the leadership of the State Council and the Central Military Commission, and adopt a system of combination of unified leadership and hierarchical command.
Article 4 The PAPF shall abide by the Constitution and law, be duteous, and perform functions in accordance with this Law and other relevant laws.
The PAPF shall be protected by law in performing their functions in accordance with law.
Article 5 The people’s armed police who make outstanding contributions in executing their missions, and the citizens, legal persons and other organizations which make outstanding contributions in assisting the people’s armed police in execution of their missions shall be commended and rewarded in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.
Article 6 The police rank system shall apply to the PAPF, and the specific measures shall be formulated by the State Council and the Central Military Commission.
Chapter II Missions and Functions
Article 7 The PAPF shall execute the following security protection missions:
(1) armed guard for the guarded objects and targets and major activities as prescribed by the state;
(2) armed guard for the important parts of major public facilities, enterprises, warehouses, water resources, water conservancy projects, electric power facilities and communications hubs relating to the national economy and the people’s livelihood;
(3) armed guard for bridges and tunnels at the important places of the main traffic arteries;
(4) peripheral armed guard for prisons and detention houses;
(5) armed patrol during an unusual period of time in the key areas of a municipality directly under the Central Government, a city where the people’s government of a province or autonomous region is located or any other important city;
(6) assisting the public security organs, state security organs, justice administrative organs, prosecution organs, and judicial organs in their execution of missions of arrest, pursuit and escort in accordance with law, and assisting other relevant authorities in their execution of important escort missions;
(7) participating in handling riots, disturbances, severe violent crimes, terrorist attacks and other social peace incidents; and
(8) other security protection missions assigned by the state.
Article 8 The principle of strict examination and approval and legal use of police forces shall be followed in the mobilization and use of the PAPF to execute security protection missions. The specific approval powers and procedures shall be prescribed by the State Council and the Central Military Commission.
No entity or individual shall mobilize or use the PAPF in violation of the relevant provisions. For any mobilization or use of the PAPF in violation of the relevant provisions, the PAPF shall refuse to execute the mission and immediately report it to its superior.
Article 9 The guarded entity may provide on-duty operational guidance for the people’s armed police on duty in the entity.
Article 10 The PAPF may take the following measures when executing security protection missions in accordance with the deployment of the public security organ at or above the county level: