History of and suggestions for China’s biosafety legislation

Abstract

Biosafety has attracted an unprecedented amount of attention from the global community as an important element in national security. All biosafety issues are related to laws and therefore must be regulated accordingly. A preliminary biosafety legislation system based on and suitable for China’s actual conditions has been established. The provisions of numerous laws have provided legislative tools to manage biosafety issues. The State Council and relevant ministries have also exercised their respective functions and drafted codes and regulations concerning biosafety protection. These laws and regulations play important roles, but our nation still lacks a law solely dedicated to biosafety regulation, and the supervisory system is incomplete. To remedy this situation, relevant biotechnologies must be developed, issues related to biosafety must be thoroughly examined, and the best practices of other nations should be introduced, all of which will improve biosafety legislation in China. Keywords: Biosafety legislation in China, History, Trend