Southern Metropolis Daily:

Strengthening the rule of law in the healthcare sector is of great significance to its healthy development. Our weaknesses in this regard have been exposed by COVID-19. What has been done to strengthen legislation in the healthcare sector and provide legal safeguards for public health? What progress has been made? Thank you.

Xu Anbiao:

Thank you for your questions. Prosperity for all is impossible without health for all. Health is the common pursuit of the people. The rule of law is a strong guarantee for the development of healthcare. Over the past decade, China has proactively advanced legislation in healthcare and strengthened legal safeguards for public health. The Coordination Team under Central Committee for Comprehensive Law-based Governance has fully played its role as a coordinator for legislation, actively coordinating and promoting legislation in healthcare and introducing important legislation in a timely manner.

First, the Law on the Promotion of Basic Medical and Health Care, the fundamental and comprehensive law in healthcare, has been enacted. The idea of big health and big healthcare has been fully implemented, and basic principles, major systems, and measures of safeguards of healthcare have been developed. The practical experience of medical reform has been summarized; the tiered diagnosis and treatment system and family doctor services have been promoted; the primary-level healthcare service system has been established and improved; and the career development mechanism linking counties, townships, and villages has been developed. All of these efforts have contributed to channeling quality medical resources down to the community level. 

Second, the Pharmaceutical Administration Law has been revised, and the Vaccine Administration Law has been enacted. These two laws have fully implemented General Secretary Xi Jinping's requirement of applying the most rigorous standards and taking the strictest supervision and the harshest penalties and accountability for violations, giving top priority to the safety and health of the people. By improving the evaluation and approval systems for medicine, boosting the reserve and supply systems, and strengthening whole-process supervision over research, production, and distribution of vaccines, these two laws have ensured the safety, effectiveness, and accessibility of medicines and vaccines.

Third, the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine has been enacted. The management system, in accordance with characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, has been built; the uniqueness and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine have been preserved and exploited to the fullest; and the development of the traditional Chinese medicine service system has been advanced. 

These laws have been tested in the practice of fighting against COVID-19 and have played critical roles.

In the wake of COVID-19, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has made work plans for the enactment and revision of laws to strengthen the system of legal guarantees for public health. Great progress and achievements have been made to strengthen the enactment and revision of laws, which can be summarized into three "a group ofs.”

A group of important laws have been formulated, revised, and introduced. The formulation of the Biosecurity Law has improved the prevention and control system for biosecurity risks, including outbreaks of new infectious diseases and major animal or plant epidemics. The Physician Law has been enacted, protecting the most admirable people in the new era with the rule of law; the decision has been made for a complete ban of illegal wildlife trade; and the Animal Quarantine Law has been revised. As public health covers a lot of ground, specific regulations have been made regarding the enactment and revision of other relevant laws.

A group of draft laws have been submitted for the deliberation of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, including the Emergency Response and Management Law, the Wildlife Protection Law, and the amendment of the Stock-breeding Law. 

A group of important laws are being drafted and revised. The enactment and revision of laws, including the Law on the Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the Law on Preparedness for and Response to Public Health Emergencies, and the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, are being proactively advanced. Thank you.