Civil code will strengthen research ethics

Timeline

August 2018: The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress holds its first reading of the personality rights section of the draft civil code.

November 2018: Biologist He Jiankui announces that he has created the first gene-edited babies in the world, spurring an international backlash.

April 2019: The NPC Standing Committee holds its second reading of the draft civil code. New clauses on the editing of human genes and embryos are added to the personality rights section, demanding that such research must follow relevant laws and regulations and may not undermine people's health or ethical norms. The second reading also expands the scope of clinical trials to include the production of new drugs, medical equipment and new preventive and therapeutic treatments.

August 2019: The NPC Standing Committee holds its third reading of the draft civil code. In addition to the rules added during the second reading, it adds another which stresses that gene editing must not endanger public interests.

October 2019: The NPC Standing Committee holds its first reading of the proposed biosecurity law. The draft law aims to better protect China's biological resources, promote and regulate biotechnology, and safeguard the nation's biosecurity from invasive species and public health emergencies.