Surveying and Mapping Law of the People's Republic of China

Surveying and Mapping Law of the People's Republic of China 

Order of the President No.66

December 28, 1992

(Adopted at the 29th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on December 28,1992,and promulgated by Order No.66 of President of the People's Republic of China)

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 This Law is formulated to ensure the smooth development of the undertaking of surveying and mapping and promote the service thereof to the national economic construction, the building up of the national defence, and scientific research.

Article 2 All surveying and mapping activities conducted in the territorial air, land and waters, as well as other sea areas under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China must comply with this Law.

Article 3 The competent department of surveying and mapping administration under the State Council shall be in charge of the surveying and mapping work throughout the country. Other relevant departments under the State Council shall be responsible for the management of surveying and mapping work within their respective departments in line with the functions and responsibilities assigned to them by the State Council. The department of surveying and mapping administration of the people's government of a province, an autonomous region or a municipality directly under the Central Government shall be in charge of the surveying and mapping work within its administrative region. Other relevant departments of the people's government of a province, an autonomous region or a municipality directly under the Central Government shall be responsible for the management of surveying and mapping work within their respective departments in line with the functions and responsibilities assigned to them by the people's government at the corresponding level. The competent department of surveying and mapping in the armed forces shall be responsible for the management of surveying and mapping work of military departments, and shall, in line with the functions and responsibilities assigned to it by the State Council and the Central Military Commission, be responsible for the management of basic marine surveying and charting work.

Article 4 The surveying and mapping datums and standards prescribed by the State shall be employed in surveying and mapping.

Article 5 The State shall encourage the enhancement of scientific and technological research in surveying and mapping, the adoption of advanced technology and equipment, and the upgrading of the scientific and technological level in surveying and mapping. Units and individuals that have made outstanding achievements in surveying and mapping work and related scientific and technological research shall be awarded.

Article 6 Every unit and individual shall help facilitate surveying and mapping and must not impede or obstruct surveying and mapping personnel from carrying out surveying and mapping activities in accordance with relevant regulations.

Chapter II Surveying and Mapping Datums and Systems

Article 7 The State shall establish and adopt the nationwide unified geodetic datums, vertical datums, depth datums and gravimetric datums, and the data thereof shall be examined and verified by the competent department of surveying and mapping administration under the State Council and, after consultation with other relevant departments under the State Council and the competent department of surveying and mapping in the armed forces, shall be submitted to the State Council for approval and publication.

Article 8 The State shall establish a nationwide unified geodetic coordinate system, plane coordinate system, vertical system, geocentric coordinate system and gravimetric system, and define the classification of orders and classes and precision of the national geodetic survey, as well as the national basic scale map series and their basic precision. Specific rules shall be formulated by the competent department of surveying and mapping administration under the State Council after consultation with other relevant departments under the State Council and the competent department of surveying and mapping in the armed forces, and submitted to the State Council for approval and publication.

Article 9 Relatively independent plane coordinate systems may be established in local areas on account of the needs of construction, urban planning and scientific research.
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