Xi signs order on protection of military industrial facilities

Xi Jinping, chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), has signed an order to promulgate a set of regulations on protecting China's important military-industrial facilities.

China's State Council and the CMC have jointly published the document.

Premier Li Qiang also signed a State Council decree to release the document.

The regulations aim to protect the security of important military-industrial facilities, ensure their effective use and normal operations, while modernizing the country's national defense.

They will apply to buildings, sites, and other facilities used for the research, production, testing, and storage of important weaponry and equipment. The facilities also include archives and data centers, communication stations, observation stations, and specialized ports, docks, airports, and dedicated railway lines, according to the document.

The document mandates security measures, including the establishment of protection zones for such sites, stipulating that without authorization from relevant management authorities, access to protection zones for important military-industrial facilities is prohibited for individuals, vehicles, and vessels. Photography, videography, audio recording, sketching, or documentation of these protected areas are also not allowed.

Violations of relevant rules may incur criminal punishments, according to the document.

The needs for protecting relevant facilities should be taken into consideration while formulating plans for social-economic development, it says.

The regulations, comprising 51 articles in seven chapters, will take effect on Sept. 15, 2025.