Premier Li signs regulation on state secrecy law

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has signed an enforcement regulation on the state secrecy law in an effort to boost government transparency.

Organs and units have been told not to label items that should be made public as "state secrets", and they should not publicize those related to state secrets, the regulation said.

The regulation defines secrecy levels and authority limits, and clarifies time limits for differing levels of confidentiality and conditions for declassification.

Signs of "state secrets" should be labelled at prominent areas of state secret carriers and state secret equipment, according to the regulation.

It includes specific rules on state secret carriers such as facilities used to reveive and transmit state secrets.

It also asked authorities to destroy state secret carriers in accordance with state secrecy standards and ensure such facilities can not be restored any more.

Organs and units are asked to report possible state secret leakage to secrecy department at the same level or superior department which is in charge of state secrecy with 24 hours, it said.

Administrative departments which are in charge of state secret work should regularly carry out education on confidentiality and officials who failed to perform their duties will be punished, it added.

The regulation, which is released Sunday, consists of 45 articles and will come into force on March 1.

(Source: China Daily)