Order of the President of the People's Republic of China

No. 48

The Law of People's Republic of China on the People's Armed Police, adopted at the 19th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on June 20, 2020, is hereby promulgated and shall come into force on June 21, 2020.

Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

June 20, 2020

Law of the People's Republic of China on the People's Armed Police

(Adopted at the 10th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eleventh National People's Congress on August 27, 2009; and revised at the 19th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Thirteenth National People's Congress on June 20, 2020)

Chapter I   General Provisions

Chapter II   Organization and Command

Chapter III   Missions and Competence

Chapter IV   Obligations and Discipline

Chapter V   Support for Missions

Chapter VI   Supervision and Inspection

Chapter VII   Legal Liabilities

Chapter VIII Supplementary Provisions

Chapter I   General Provisions

Article 1 This Law is enacted for the purposes of regulating and guaranteeing the performance of functions by the People's Armed Police (PAP), building a strong and modernized PAP, maintaining national security and social stability, and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of citizens, legal persons and other organizations. 

Article 2 The PAP is a key component of the armed forces of the People's Republic of China. The PAP is under the centralized and unified leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Article 3 The PAP shall uphold the absolute leadership of the Communist Party of China, implement Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military and the military strategic guideline for a new era, strengthen military training and improve combat readiness, adhere to strict law-based governance, accelerate its construction and development, and perform duties efficiently in accordance with the strategic requirements of performing multiple functions, maintaining stability and safeguarding rights. 

Article 4 The PAP shall be responsible for guard duties, addressing social security emergencies, preventing and responding to terrorist activities, maritime rights protection and law enforcement, disaster rescue and relief, defensive operations and other missions assigned by the CMC.

Article 5 The PAP shall abide by the Constitution and laws, faithfully discharge and perform functions in accordance with the provisions of this Law and other relevant laws.

The acts of the PAP in discharging its functions and duties in accordance with law shall be protected by law.

Article 6 PAP officers who make outstanding contributions in the execution of their missions shall be commended and awarded in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of the CMC.

Individuals and organizations that make outstanding contributions in assisting the PAP in carrying out its missions shall be commended and awarded in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Article 7 The PAP adopts the system of ranks with its contents separately prescribed in other laws.

Article 8 PAP officers enjoy the rights and interests of active duty service members as prescribed by laws and regulations. 

Chapter II   Organization and Command

Article 9 The PAP consists of internal security force, mobile force, coast guard, academies and research institutions, etc. 

The internal security force is organized according to administrative divisions, the mobile force according to missions, the coast guard according to administrative divisions and mission-designated districts in coastal areas. Specific organizational structure shall be determined by the CMC. 

Article 10 PAP units, when executing missions in peacetime, shall be organized and commanded by the CMC, or by the PAP when authorized by the CMC.

PAP units, when participating in non-war military operations in peacetime with the People's Liberation Army such as disaster rescue and relief, stability maintenance, emergency response, and joint training exercises, shall be commanded by the Theater Commands (TCs) under the authorization of the CMC.

PAP units, when executing missions in wartime, shall be organized and commanded by the CMC or by the TCs under the authorization of the CMC.

Specific methods of organization and command shall be determined by the CMC. 

Article 11  Central state organs and local people's governments at or above county level shall establish mechanisms with the PAP for mission requests and coordination.

Where central state organs and local people's governments at or above county level need the assistance of the PAP for security guard for major events, the handling of social security emergencies,  prevention of and response to terrorist activities, and disaster rescue and relief, they shall make requests in accordance with relevant state provisions.

The entity in need of such services may make requests to the PAP units on duty. 

Article 12  The deployment of the PAP for missions shall be subject to relevant laws and a strict approval process, and be in accordance with the PAP's command structure, responsibilities and authorities and operational mechanisms. The approval authority and procedures shall be prescribed by the CMC.

In the event of a major disaster, dangerous situation or violent terrorist incident or other emergency that seriously threatens public security or the citizens' personal and property safety, the PAP shall take action and report simultaneously in accordance with relevant provisions issued by the CMC. 

Article 13  The PAP shall, as the situation warrants, join the commanding units established by the central state organs or local people's governments at or above county level. The organization and command shall be under the leadership of the commanding units in accordance with relevant provisions of the CMC. 

Article 14  Central state organs or local people's governments at or above county level will provide operational guidance to the PAP in the performance of guard duties, handling of social security emergencies, prevention of and response to terrorist activities, and participation in disaster rescue and relief. 

The guarded entity may provide operational guidance to the PAP deployed on site for missions such as armed guard, armed protection, armed security protection, armed sentry, escorting, transportation, etc.. 

Chapter III   Missions and Competence

Article 15 The PAP executes the following guard duties: 

(1) armed guard for individuals and key targets;

(2) security guard for major events;

(3) armed protection over critical sections of key entities, such as critical public facilities, nuclear facilities, enterprises, warehouses, water sources, water conservancies, power facilities and communication hubs;

(4) armed security protection over important bridges and tunnels; 

(5) armed sentry over the peripheral areas of prisons and detention houses;

(6) armed patrols in the key areas of municipalities, cities which are the seat of the people's government of a province or an autonomous region, and other important cities (towns), or during special periods or along designated inland borders; 

(7) assistance to public security organs and national security organs in carrying out arrest and pursuit tasks in accordance with law; assistance to guarded entities including prisons and detention houses, in performing escort and pursuit tasks; and assistance to guarded entities including the People's Bank of China, military industrial institutions and enterprises for national defense, in carrying out escort tasks. 

The specific scope of duties provided in the preceding paragraphs shall be implemented in accordance with relevant state regulations. 

Article 16  The PAP, when addressing unrest, riots, turmoil, illegal gatherings, mass disturbances and other emergencies, is responsible for: 

(1) protecting key targets;

(2) blocking and controlling relevant places and roads;

(3) implementing isolation, guidance, removal and dispersal operations to stop illegal and criminal acts;

(4) rescuing and saving stranded persons; 

(5) conducting armed patrols, assisting in carrying out the mass work and restoring social order.

Article 17  The PAP, when participating in the prevention of and response to terrorist activities, mainly:

(1) performs on-site control, rescue and relief, armed patrols and sentry of key targets;

(2) assists public security organs in arresting and pursuing persons involved in the terrorist activities; 

(3) rescues hostages and removes explosives;

(4) participates in responding to the hijacking of aircraft and other vehicles.

Article 18  The PAP, when participating in rescue and relief following a natural disaster, an accident or a public health emergency, is mainly engaged in:

(1) the search, rescue, transfer or evacuation of stranded persons;

(2) guard over the peripheries of dangerous areas, hazardous sites and cordoned sections;

(3) the removal and control of disasters and dangers to prevent secondary and derivative disasters;

(4) nuclear-biochemical rescue, medical rescue, epidemic prevention and control, emergency repair and construction of traffic facilities and other specialized operations; and

(5) the rescue, transportation and transfer of important materials.