Archives Law

Archives Law of the People’s Republic of China
中华人民共和国档案法

[Current Text: Chinese, English]

(adopted Sept. 5, 1987, effective Jan. 1, 1988; amended and effective July 5, 1996; amended and effective Nov. 7, 2016; revised June 20, 2020, effective Jan. 1, 2021)

• Status: Revision passed
• Legislative Body (Vote): NPCSC (N/A)
• Principal Drafter: National Archives Administration
• Submitter: State Council
• Legislative Plans
  • Five-year: 13^th NPCSC Category I
  • Annual: 2019, 2020
• Legislative History & Text
  • NPCSC deliberation – round #2 (final): June 18–20, 2020 (Current Text ⇧)
  • NPCSC deliberation – round #1: Oct. 21–26, 2019 (Chinese only) 💬
    • Public consultation: Oct. 31–Nov. 29, 2019
  • State Council public consultation: May 25–June 30, 2016 (Chinese only)
• Legislative Records [Gazette 2020(3): 535–545]
  • Explanation (Oct. 21, 2019)
  • Report on Results of Deliberation (June 18, 2020)
  • Report on Suggestions for Revision (June 19, 2020)
  • Presidential Order (June 20, 2020)

NPC Observer Coverage

• NPCSC Concludes First June Session Before Immediately Scheduling Another, Likely to Adopt Hong Kong National Security Law (June 21, 2020)
• NPCSC Session Watch: Encryption, Civil Code, Biosecurity, Child Protection & State Supervision Commission Rulemaking (Oct. 15, 2019)

Last updated: August 6, 2025, 00:30 EDT