Administrative Regulations on Maps
Order of the State Council of the People's Republic of China No.664
November 26, 2015
The Administrative Regulations on Maps, adopted on November 11, 2015 at the 111th executive meeting of the State Council, are hereby promulgated for implementation as of January 1, 2016.
Li Keqiang, Premier
Administrative Regulations on Maps
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1 The Administrative Regulations on Maps (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulations") are formulated in accordance with the Surveying and Mapping Law of the People's Republic of China, in order to strengthen map management, safeguard sovereignty, security and interests of the State, promote the sound development of geographic information industry, and provide services for economic development, social development and people's living.
Article 2 The Regulations apply to any compilation, review and publishing of maps open to the public, Internet map services, and relevant supervision and inspection activities within the territory of the People's Republic of China.
Article 3 Work involving maps shall follow the principles of safeguarding national sovereignty, ensuring the security of geographic information, and facilitating the life of the masses.
The map compilation, review and publishing and Internet map services shall follow the laws and regulations related to confidentiality.
Article 4 The administrative department for surveying and mapping geographic information under the State Council is in charge of the uniform supervision and administration over national work on maps. Other departments under the State Council are responsible for relevant work on maps according to the division of duties specified by the State Council.
The administrative departments responsible for administrating the surveying and mapping of geographic information (hereinafter referred to as the "competent administrative departments for surveying and mapping geographic information") of local people's governments at or above the county level are responsible for the uniform supervision and administration over the work on maps within their respective administrative regions. Other relevant departments of local people's governments at or above the county level are responsible for related work on maps according to the division of duties specified by the local governments at the same level.
Article 5 Governments at all levels, relevant departments thereof, and news media entities shall strengthen the publicity and education on national territory, and enhance citizens' awareness of national territory.
The education on the sense of national territory shall be included in the syllabus of primary and secondary schools.
Citizens, legal persons and other organizations shall use the maps which properly show national territory.
Article 6 The State encourages the compilation and publishing of various types of map products which are in compliance with standards and provisions, and supports the science and technology innovation as well as the industrial development of geographic information, accelerates the restructuring, optimization and upgrading of the geographic information industry, and promote the in-depth application of geographic information.
The people's governments at or above the county level shall establish and improve the mechanism for joint-development and sharing of geographic information resources among governmental departments.
The competent administrative departments for surveying and mapping geographic information of people's governments at or above the county level shall take effective measures, to timely obtain, dispose of, and update the basic geographic information and data, and provide public services related to geographic information for the public through public service platforms for geographic information so as to achieve the opening and sharing of geographic information and data.
Chapter II Map Compilation
Article 7 To engage in map compilation, entities shall obtain an appropriate qualification certificate for surveying and mapping in accordance with the law, and shall carry out map compilation within the scope permitted by the qualification grade.
Article 8 Entities compiling maps shall implement the relevant national standards on map compilation, and abide by the relevant national provisions on map content presentation.
Maps shall not indicate the following content:
1. jeopardising the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State;
2. jeopardising the national security, or impairing the national honor and interests;
3. any State secrets;
4. affecting the ethnic unity, or infringing the customs of ethnic groups; and
5. other content that shall not be indicated on maps according to laws and regulations.
Article 9 In the compilation of maps, the latest map information shall be selected; timely supplementation and updating shall be made; the geographic locations, shapes, names of all elements and relationship with each other shall be properly reflected; and the content of the maps shall match the purpose of such maps.
The territory of the People's Republic of China shall be fully represented in the compilation of world maps and national maps which involve the territory of the People's Republic of China.
Article 10 The following provisions shall be followed in the compilation of maps which involve the boundaries of the People's Republic of China, Chinese historical boundaries, boundaries between countries, and historical boundaries between countries:
1. the boundaries of the People's Republic of China shall be drawn based on standard sample pictures for drawing Chinese boundaries;
2. Chinese historical boundaries shall be drawn according to the relevant historical data, and based on actual historical boundaries;
3. the boundaries between countries shall be drawn based on reference sample pictures for drawing boundaries between countries; and
4. the historical boundaries between countries shall be drawn according to the relevant historical data, and based on actual historical boundaries.
The standard sample pictures for drawing Chinese boundaries and the reference sample pictures for drawing boundaries between countries are prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs jointly with the department for surveying and mapping geographic information under the State Council, and shall be issued upon the approval of the State Council.
Article 11 The standard pictures for drawing administrative boundaries, administrative maps for special administrative regions issued upon the approval by the State Council, and other related national provisions shall be abided by in the compilation of maps involving boundaries or scope of Chinese administrative regions at or above the county level.
The standard pictures for drawing administrative boundaries are prepared by the Ministry of Civil Affairs jointly with the department for surveying and mapping geographic information under the State Council, and shall be issued upon the approval of the State Council.
Article 12 The important geographic information and data released in accordance with the law shall be used for the purpose of indicating important geographic information and data on maps.
Article 13 The surveying and mapping results which have been processed with confidentiality technologies by the competent administrative department for surveying and mapping geographic information under the State Council or competent administrative departments for surveying and mapping geographic information of local governments of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be used in accordance with the law in the compilation of maps using surveying and mapping results involving State secrets.
Article 14 The competent administrative departments for surveying and mapping geographic information of people's governments at or above the county level shall disclose not-for-profit maps to the public free of charge.
The competent administrative departments for surveying and mapping geographic information of people's governments at or above the county level shall timely organize the collection of any changes in the administrative regions, names of places, transportation, river system, vegetation, public facilities and residential areas which are related to maps, for the use for regularly updating not-for-profit maps.
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