Law on Foreign Relations to act as safeguard

China's first foreign relations law, which was passed by the nation's top legislature on Wednesday, provides the necessary legal guarantees for the country to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests amid increased foreign sanctions and restrictions, a senior Chinese diplomat said.

Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the law, which will take effect on Saturday, provides a legal basis for China to exercise its legitimate rights to counter sanctions and interference.

It is also conducive to firmly and effectively safeguarding national interests through the rule of law and to better upholding international fairness and justice, Wang said in an article published in People's Daily on Thursday.

The Law on Foreign Relations comes as the nation's development faces increasing challenges in foreign relations including export restrictions, "long-arm" jurisdiction and sanctions. China, for example, has been subjected to mounting sanctions from the United States over advanced technologies as well as issues related to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

However, international law has failed to provide adequate remedies. To protect its national security and interests, China recognized the urgent need for a domestic legal framework to regulate foreign relations.

In December, the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, issued the Law on Foreign Relations draft. The draft legislation won broad support from NPC deputies, political advisers, legal experts and the public, according to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC.

The law states that China "has the right to take, as called for, measures to counter or take restrictive measures against acts that endanger its sovereignty, security and development interests in violation of international law or fundamental norms governing international relations."

In formulating the law, China makes it clear it opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics, unilateralism, protectionism and bullying, Wang said.

The law also has provisions to counter interference, sanctions, sabotage and other actions by foreign countries against China. These provisions will have a preventive and deterrent effect and act as a warning, he added.

The legislation is very necessary and important in countering the long-arm jurisdiction of some countries that harms China's national interests, experts said.

Xu Tianqi, an associate researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said that in the face of the frequent distortion, smearing and provocation by external forces against China, the foreign relations law is timely and useful.

The law also expounds on China's major principles, policy positions, and institutional frameworks for foreign affairs. It is considered a significant milestone in China building a rule of law system in relation to foreign affairs.

The law makes clear the objectives of China's development of foreign relations, its concept of global governance and its active engagement in various fields of foreign exchanges and cooperation.

It also states that China adheres to the path of peaceful development, the basic national policy of opening-up, the strategy of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation and the correct direction of economic globalization.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday that the law reflects China's diplomatic policy of maintaining world peace and promoting common development. It also represents China's strong expectations for peaceful development and win-win cooperation.

It embodies China's commitment to creating a community with a shared future for mankind, promoting the building of a new type of international relations and upholding common values for all humanity, Mao said at a news conference.