State secrets transparently clear
Source: Xinhua |
April 30, 2010, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S parliament yesterday adopted a revision to the Law on Guarding State Secrets which narrowed the definition of "state secrets," in an effort to boost transparency.
State secrets now have a clearer definition.
They are defined as information concerning state security and interests and, if leaked, would damage state security and interests in politics, the economy, national defense and other areas.
It raises the level of government departments that can classify data a state secret.
The National Administration for the Protection of State Secrets and local bureaus above the county level are now responsible for national and local classification.
Wang Xixin at Peking University Law School said the number of state secrets would decline as fewer levels of government departments had the power to classify information as a state secret.
"It will boost government transparency," Wang said.
Local officials often used the excuse of "state secrets" to avoid answering inquiries from the public.
After the amended law takes effect in October, governments under the county level would have to respond to public questioning with more openness and without the power to classify information as a state secret, Wang said.
According to the amended law, there will be more complicated but standardized procedures to classify information a state secret which will eliminate "random classification."
The amended law grants more responsibility to classification departments and units, which will be penalized if they do not properly classify data.
Wang said reducing the number of state secrets would improve state-secret security as "the protection work will be difficult if there are many state secrets, and more manpower and resources are used."
"The more state secrets, the more 'numb' the public will be," he said.
State secrets now have a clearer definition.
They are defined as information concerning state security and interests and, if leaked, would damage state security and interests in politics, the economy, national defense and other areas.
It raises the level of government departments that can classify data a state secret.
The National Administration for the Protection of State Secrets and local bureaus above the county level are now responsible for national and local classification.
Wang Xixin at Peking University Law School said the number of state secrets would decline as fewer levels of government departments had the power to classify information as a state secret.
"It will boost government transparency," Wang said.
Local officials often used the excuse of "state secrets" to avoid answering inquiries from the public.
After the amended law takes effect in October, governments under the county level would have to respond to public questioning with more openness and without the power to classify information as a state secret, Wang said.
According to the amended law, there will be more complicated but standardized procedures to classify information a state secret which will eliminate "random classification."
The amended law grants more responsibility to classification departments and units, which will be penalized if they do not properly classify data.
Wang said reducing the number of state secrets would improve state-secret security as "the protection work will be difficult if there are many state secrets, and more manpower and resources are used."
"The more state secrets, the more 'numb' the public will be," he said.
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