China's draft biosecurity law was submitted to a regular session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee for its second review on Sunday.

The draft focused on preventing and responding to biological threats, safeguarding people's lives and health, promoting the sound development of biotechnology, and protecting biological resources and the ecological environment.

Its first draft was deliberated by the top legislature in October 2019.

The draft law made it clear that biosecurity is an important part of national security, stipulating that a holistic approach to national security shall be implemented to safeguard national biosecurity.

According to the draft, functions and duties were specified for the national biosecurity coordination mechanism, which is composed of the State Council's departments of health, agriculture and rural affairs, science and technology and foreign affairs, as well as relevant military organs.

A monitoring and early warning system should be put in place to prevent and control major new or sudden outbreaks of infectious diseases and epidemics related to animals and plants, according to the draft.

The draft regulated the research and development of biotechnology to prevent misuse of the technology.

It also included provisions on laboratory biosafety management, the management of human genetic and biological resource safety, prevention of bioterrorism and biological weapons threats as well as the building of biosecurity capacity.

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