China's laws on military personnel, facilities to take effect on Aug 1

BEIJING - China's brand new law on the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel and the revised Law on Military Facilities Protection will take effect on Aug 1, according to a press conference Wednesday.

As a ground-breaking legal document, the law on the protection of the status, rights and interests of military personnel prescribes the status of military personnel through legislation for the first time, and ramps up targeted measures to protect military personnel's wellbeing, said Guo Linmao, an official with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC).

The newly-revised Law on Military Facilities Protection sets forth the principle of coordinating socio-economic development and military facilities protection, and defines the responsibility of local governments and relevant State Council bodies in protecting military facilities during socio-economic and land-use planning, said Tong Weidong, an official with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

Both laws were adopted on June 10 during the 29th session of the 13th NPC Standing Committee.

Aug 1 marks China's Army Day.