Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
[Lexis China Comments]
Pursuant to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language (Revised in 2025) (Order of the President of the People's Republic of China No. 66), this document has been revised.
Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Order of the President No. 37
October 31, 2000
The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, which was adopted at the 18th session of Standing Committee of the 9th National People's Congress on October 31, 2000, is released hereby and shall take effect as of January 1, 2001.
President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Use of the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Chapter III Administration and Supervision
Chapter IV Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is enacted in accordance with the Constitution for the purpose of promoting the normalization and standardization of the standard spoken and written Chinese language and its sound development, making it play a better role in public activities, and promoting economic and cultural exchange among all the Chinese nationalities and regions.
Article 2 For purposes of this Law, the standard spoken and written Chinese language means Putonghua (a common speech with pronunciation based on the Beijing dialect) and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 3 The State popularizes Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 4 All citizens shall have the right to learn and use the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
The State provides citizens with the conditions for learning and using the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
Local people's governments at various levels and the relevant departments under them shall take measures to popularize Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 5 The standard spoken and written Chinese language shall be used in such a way as to be conducive to the upholding of state sovereignty and national dignity, to unification of the country and unity of the nationalities, and to socialist material progress and ethical progress.
Article 6 The State promulgates standard norms of the spoken and written Chinese language, administers its use in the community, supports the teaching of and scientific research in the language in order to promote its normalization, enrichment and development.
Article 7 The State rewards the organizations and individuals that have made outstanding contribution in the field the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
Article 8 All the nationalities shall have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.
The spoken and written languages of the ethnic peoples shall be used in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Law on Regional National Autonomy and other laws.
Chapter II Use of the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Article 9 Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be used by State organs as the official language, except where otherwise provided for in laws.
Article 10 Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be used as the basic language in education and teaching in schools and other institutions of education, except where otherwise provided for in laws.
Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be taught in schools and other institutions of education by means of the Chinese course.
......
Pursuant to the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language (Revised in 2025) (Order of the President of the People's Republic of China No. 66), this document has been revised.
Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Order of the President No. 37
October 31, 2000
The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, which was adopted at the 18th session of Standing Committee of the 9th National People's Congress on October 31, 2000, is released hereby and shall take effect as of January 1, 2001.
President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Use of the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Chapter III Administration and Supervision
Chapter IV Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 This Law is enacted in accordance with the Constitution for the purpose of promoting the normalization and standardization of the standard spoken and written Chinese language and its sound development, making it play a better role in public activities, and promoting economic and cultural exchange among all the Chinese nationalities and regions.
Article 2 For purposes of this Law, the standard spoken and written Chinese language means Putonghua (a common speech with pronunciation based on the Beijing dialect) and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 3 The State popularizes Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 4 All citizens shall have the right to learn and use the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
The State provides citizens with the conditions for learning and using the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
Local people's governments at various levels and the relevant departments under them shall take measures to popularize Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters.
Article 5 The standard spoken and written Chinese language shall be used in such a way as to be conducive to the upholding of state sovereignty and national dignity, to unification of the country and unity of the nationalities, and to socialist material progress and ethical progress.
Article 6 The State promulgates standard norms of the spoken and written Chinese language, administers its use in the community, supports the teaching of and scientific research in the language in order to promote its normalization, enrichment and development.
Article 7 The State rewards the organizations and individuals that have made outstanding contribution in the field the standard spoken and written Chinese language.
Article 8 All the nationalities shall have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.
The spoken and written languages of the ethnic peoples shall be used in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Constitution, the Law on Regional National Autonomy and other laws.
Chapter II Use of the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language
Article 9 Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be used by State organs as the official language, except where otherwise provided for in laws.
Article 10 Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be used as the basic language in education and teaching in schools and other institutions of education, except where otherwise provided for in laws.
Putonghua and the standardized Chinese characters shall be taught in schools and other institutions of education by means of the Chinese course.
......