According to a Regulation on the Management of Topographic Data recently issued by the State Council, no institution or individual is allowed to publish important topographic data without prior authorization from the state.

Key topographic and geographical data concerns the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national dignity of China, and is crucial to state security and modernization plans.

The regulation defines such data as including information on national boundaries, the length of national coastlines, territorial land area, adjoining regions, exclusive economic zones, islands and islets, key characters of territory, hypsography, physiognomy, and data relating to other key natural and anthropological objects.

Further, any examination of such data should be carried out by topographic departments of the State Council, in cooperation with other related State Council departments and the military. The data should be reported to the State Council for approval.

Only then can the approved data be published by the State Council or other institution authorized by the State Council.

The regulation also stipulates that security and topographic departments under the State Council should evaluate and classify the data according to existing laws and regulations. If state-level classified data is used subsequently as part of a project or to develop a product, that resultant project or product must also be given state-level classification.

The examination and approval procedure must be applied to data classified as state-level. If the data is to be provided abroad, the examination and approval must be carried out by at least a provincial level administrative department.

In addition, relevant military departments should be consulted for their opinions.

The regulation will take effect on September 1 this year.

(China.org.cn by Li Shen June 9, 2006)