context: The draft Biosecurity Law was sent to NPC for first review in October 2019. The little discussion generated at that time was largely centred on how to address emerging biosafety threats, for example from biotech misuse. COVID-19 not only added urgency to passing the Law, but also focused legislators' attention on other aspects of biosecurity.
At the 12th meeting of the Central Committee for Comprehensively Deepening Reform on 14 February, President Xi stressed
- incorporating biosecurity as part of the national security
- properly planning national biosecurity risk prevention and control, as well as institution building
Xi also urged speeding up passage of the Biosecurity Law.
In an interview with Yicai, Chang Jiwen 常纪文 State Council Development Research Centre Resources and Environmental Policy Research comments on the progress of the biosecurity legislation.
Drafting the Biosecurity Law is challenging, says Chang, due to its broad scope and the need to reconcile development and protection, as well as addressing long-term institution building and current practical challenges.
Regarding the Biosecurity Law, Chang recommends it should aim to
- protect biological resources
- maintain ecological balance
- promote healthy development of biotechnology
- strengthen national biosecurity risk control
- promote international dialogue and cooperation on biosecurity
- promote harmony between human and nature
- clarify the definition of 'biosecurity
- clarify the relationship between Biosecurity Law and other special laws concerning biodiversity, national parks, wildlife conservation, food security and animal epidemic
Chang further recommends that
- regarding biosecurity supervision and management structure
- a biosecurity coordination mechanism be set up under the State Council, as the National Biosafety Management Office under Ministry of Ecology and Environment lacks proper legal status and sufficient coordination capacity
- a three-tiered biosecurity supervision structure involving central, provincial, municipal governments be instituted
- Party and government officials be held equally responsible
- national and local biosecurity expert committees be set up