The current National Security Law introduced in Feb. 1993 makes it clear in its General Provisions that its implementation is for defending the communist regime and the so-called socialist system.
The Standing Committee of National People's Congress is currently reviewing its Anti-Spyware Law, which was drafted by the Ministry of State Security on the basis of the existing National Security Law. Geng Huichang, the Minister of the Ministry of State Security said that putting forward the Anti-Spyware Law is adapting to the so-called new situation and the new national security tasks. It is further "standardizing and strengthening" counter-espionage work.
Mainland human rights lawyer Tang Jitian: "What is ‘national security?’ National security in democratic countries is closely linked with the people's interests. But Mainland China's so-called national security actually has nothing to do with ordinary people, and it is mostly relevant to the ruling group which commands the state power. So either the National Security Law or the Anti-Spyware Law more likely aims against those activities possibly being hazardous to the ruler’s interest."
The main content of this revision clearly stipulates that the Ministry of State Security is the direct authorities responsible for counterintelligence work. The new "Anti-Spyware Law" also stipulates the task breakdown among the public security bureaus, confidentiality administrative agencies and the military, as well as the highly cooperative among them.
Tang Jitian: "Such a revision is likely to be used by the authorities for further contracting the civil rights or political power, and for repressing and punishing the social activities of citizens. This includes foreign exchange activities, by the pretext of the so-called national security or spy.”
Most of the contents of National Security Law during this revision are fine-tuning with the exception of major changes on the fifth article of the original law. The original text "five specific acts endangering national security" is replaced with a general definition of espionage. The Mainland Authorities explained that this modification is to connect with the "Criminal Law" and benefit future counterintelligence work.
Tang Jitian: "If we say this is connected with Criminal Law, then it is a special law. It is expected to be more specific, clearer, and more practicable. If this kind of macro rhetoric like the so-called "anti-terrorism," "national security" or "anti-spy" is used for expanding powers for the institutional sector, then it is bound to the existence of such a dangerous abuse of power."
From previous examples, we can see that the so-called "spy" and "special agent" cases handled by the authorities actually meant what happened.
Former billionaire Xu Chongyang from Hubei Province was forced to embark on a rights-defending road due to his huge assets plundered by the local authorities. He was once tortured by the police and forced to extract confessions that he was a spy dispatched by the U.S. government to Mainland China.
Former billionaire Xu Chongyang: "Because that time I was tortured so seriously that I could not resist, I was forced to admit I was a "spy". For example, they fed me feces, three policemen urinated on my head, and my ribs were beaten until they broke. I am still on the black list.
During the persecution, Xu Chongyang wrote a letter to then CCP Head Hu Jintao, and then he experienced an even harsher crackdown from the officials of the Political and Legal Department. In February of 2012, the video showing that he was hanging naked and threatened by the police was published on the Internet.
Former billionaire Xu Chongyang: "They were executing political persecution and used this way to suppress me. For example, when Fu Zhenghua (the head of Beijing Public Security Bureau) arranged some persons to interrogate me, he said, ‘now if you are yelling out Hu Jintao, I'm going to beat you to death. Until you do not shout out Hu Jintao, then I will not hit you.’"
After Xu Chongyang was released from prison, he became penniless, and even basic needs became difficult. However, due to fear of being framed as he receives "secret" funding from the U.S. government, Xu Chongyang doesn’t dare to ask the cost of living from his wife and his sons who are now in the US.
Not only ordinary people may be framed by the authorities as a "spy" and a "secret intelligence agent," but also even the former CCP Head Zhao Ziyang cannot be spared. Ms. He Qinglian, who is a scholar now in America, published a commentary article in Voice of America in which he recalled how the CCP exploited the so-called "foreign forces" to resolve their crisis in different historical periods. The article also mentions that after the June 4, 1989 massacre, in order to be accountable to citizens, Deng Xiaoping attempted to frame Zhao Ziyang as a U.S. CIA spy, but ultimately failed to succeed in this.
- See more at: http://www.ntd.tv/en/programs/news-politics/china-forbidden-news/20140829/202550--antispyware-laws-is-being-prepared-who-will-be-the-spy-.html#sthash.QMtLQYm7.dpuf
