Chinese lawmakers adopted on Friday a law on Antarctic activities and environmental protection to enhance the understanding, protection and sustainable use of the continent. The law will come into force on Jan 1.
Comprising 59 articles across seven chapters, the law was passed during the 25th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature.
Antarctica is a vital part of the global natural environment and ecosystem. The law envisions environmental protection as its primary purpose, requiring activities on and near the continent to follow the principles of environmental protection, resource conservation, scientific support and international cooperation, so as to avoid or minimize adverse impacts on the Antarctic environment.
A dedicated chapter sets out environmental regulations, mandating the protection of Antarctic animals and plants, the proper disposal of waste, as well as the prevention of marine pollution.
The Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee said the law fulfills China's obligations under the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. It aligns with the practices of most Antarctic Treaty consultative parties — which have already enacted their own national legislation — and incorporates proven tools from China's domestic ecological governance, including environmental impact assessments, waste classification and daily-penalty mechanisms.
Hou Mingming, an associate professor at Jilin University's School of Law, said the legislation reflects China's shift from traditional department-based lawmaking to a more systematic, field-oriented approach.
Hou said this aligns with the growing complexity of the issues that can no longer be solved by a single department, but require a combination of public law, administrative enforcement, judicial remedies and public participation.
"This law carries real legal force. It sets out civil liability for environmental damage as well as administrative penalties, and provides for criminal liability by reference where conduct constitutes a crime," he said, underscoring China's image as a responsible major country in Antarctic protection and global polar governance.
"Antarctica has no sovereignty, but humanity shares common boundaries. What China is doing is to translate these boundaries from international commitments into enforceable domestic rules, and then bring them back into the framework of international cooperation," Hou added.
The law was included in the 2025 legislative work plan as part of the top legislature's efforts to improve the foreign-related legal system. It was submitted for three readings — in December 2025, June 2026 and November 2026 — before adoption.
New cross-border law passed
On Friday, the NPC Standing Committee also passed a law targeting cross-border corruption, another legislative item related to addressing foreign-related issues.
The law, with 47 articles in six chapters, aims to prevent and/or sanction international corruption cases, deepen global anti-corruption cooperation, safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and promote a fair and equitable global anti-corruption governance system, according to the commission.
The commission said that the law not only shows China's firm stance against corruption and strong determination to regulate the conduct of enterprises with cross-border businesses, but also strengthens the country's toolbox for tracking down fugitives, recovering illicit assets and handling foreign-related corruption cases.
For example, the law requires establishing a mechanism for referring leads, specifies the obligation of anti-money laundering and regulatory authorities to refer cross-border corruption clues they uncover in their work, and provides that companies discovering problems must report to supervisory organs and other relevant authorities.
Zhang Lei, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, described the law as a new step in enriching the legal framework for foreign-related anticorruption work, meaning China is putting in place a systematic and comprehensive legal system in this area.
Zhang emphasized that international anti-corruption cooperation is an activity that must strictly follow legal procedures. "The new law provides a more complete legal basis for such cooperation and will help make it more standardized," he said.
He added that the law will be conducive to resolving difficulties such as asset recovery in handling foreign-related cases, and deter fugitives who have fled abroad, narrowing their room to escape justice overseas.
