According to a Regulation on the Management of Topographic Data
recently issued by the State Council, no institution or individual
is allowed to publish important topographic data without prior
authorization from the state.
Key topographic and geographical data concerns the sovereignty,
territorial integrity and national dignity of China, and is crucial
to state security and modernization plans.
The regulation defines such data as including information on
national boundaries, the length of national coastlines, territorial
land area, adjoining regions, exclusive economic zones, islands and
islets, key characters of territory, hypsography, physiognomy, and
data relating to other key natural and anthropological objects.
Further, any examination of such data should be carried out by
topographic departments of the State Council, in cooperation with
other related State Council departments and the military. The data
should be reported to the State Council for approval.
Only then can the approved data be published by the State
Council or other institution authorized by the State Council.
The regulation also stipulates that security and topographic
departments under the State Council should evaluate and classify
the data according to existing laws and regulations. If state-level
classified data is used subsequently as part of a project or to
develop a product, that resultant project or product must also be
given state-level classification.
The examination and approval procedure must be applied to data
classified as state-level. If the data is to be provided abroad,
the examination and approval must be carried out by at least a
provincial level administrative department.
In addition, relevant military departments should be consulted
for their opinions.
The regulation will take effect on September 1 this year.
(China.org.cn by Li Shen June 9, 2006)