China's official "Important Military Industry Facility Protection Regulations" have been released and will take effect on September 15. The content states that illegal photography, depiction, and other prohibited actions in important military facility protection zones can result in administrative penalties for minor infractions, while more severe actions can lead to criminal responsibility or be punished by national security agencies for espionage activities.
According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, the State Council of China and the Central Military Commission recently issued the "Important Military Industry Facility Protection Regulations." The regulations include 7 chapters and 51 articles, emphasizing the need to ensure the safety of important military facilities, safeguard their operational effectiveness, and ensure the normal progress of military industry research and production activities to strengthen national defense modernization.
The "Regulations" clearly define the scope of important military facilities, the responsibilities of various parties, the procedures for defining protection zones, protective measures, and the obligations of management units. They require county-level and above governments to consider military facility protection needs in national economic and social development planning, and to strengthen supervision, inspection, and comprehensive management.
The "Regulations" list certain behaviors, such as illegal photography, video recording, drawing, describing, surveying, measuring, positioning within protection zones of important military facilities, or illegal use of such data, constituting violations of public security management. These actions are subject to administrative penalties by public security agencies; espionage activities that do not constitute crimes will be punished by national security agencies; criminal activities will be subject to criminal responsibility according to the law.
Chinese authorities have repeatedly warned against taking photographs in militarily sensitive areas. On the 26th, the Ministry of State Security of China issued a statement saying that personnel from foreign spy intelligence agencies may enter China under the guise of tourism or visiting relatives and friends, and "it is important to be vigilant about tourists lingering near military restricted zones, sensitive areas, especially those carrying high-precision surveying equipment."
In early April this year, China's state media CCTV News reported that national security agencies detained three Filipinos suspected of engaging in espionage activities within China. It was alleged that during their stay in China, they photographed and retained a large amount of military and confidential footage, which they provided to Filipino intelligence personnel over a long period.
However, Chinese nationals overseas have also been arrested multiple times for photographing military confidential imagery in other countries.
In January this year, the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and military first arrested a Chinese man suspected of espionage activities in the Philippines. He and his assistant were accused of exploring towns where important military bases of the Philippines and the US are located, carrying equipment for real-time data transmission.
In March, two Chinese high school students were arrested for secretly filming military aircraft near the 10th Fighter Wing Division in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. According to the investigation authorities, aside from military aircraft, they also filmed multiple military facilities and airports.