China's new law on patriotic education was adopted by the national "people's" congress in October and came into force January 1. Hitler and Mussolini would for sure have applauded the law as patriotic education is equaled with the cult of socialism, the party and the "great leader". You cannot love your country unless you love Xi Jinping and his communist party. They are interconnected and inseparable. The law has been hailed by the People's Daily, the communist party's mouthpiece, as an important document in the "new era" of Xi Jinping.
Chapter I: General Provisions
Article 1: This law is formulated on the basis of the Constitution so as to strengthen patriotic education in the era, to pass on and carry forward the spirit of patriotism, to concentrate the tremendous force of buiding a modern socialist nation and fully promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people.
Article 2: China is one of the nations with the longest histories in the world, the Chinese people of all ethnicities have created a brilliant culture together, and founded a unified multi-ethnic nation. The state is to carry out patriotic education among all the people, cultivating and enhancing the attachment of the Chinese people and the great motherland, passing on the spirit of the people, enhancing the perception of the state, solidifying and uniting all patriotic forces, making patriotism a resolute belief, spiritual force, and conscious action for all the people.
Article 3: Patriotic education shall raise high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, adhere to the guidance of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, persist in unifying love for the nation, the party, and socialism; and, focusing on preserving national and ethnic unity, make the establishment of a modern socialist power and realization of the great rejuvination of the Chinese people a striking theme.
Article 4: Patriotic education is to uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China, completing work structures with unified leadership, joint management, participation by all, and concerted effort.
Article 5: Patriotic education shall persist in ideological leadership, the conservation and education of culture, educational guidance, and development through practice, integrating vivid themes into daily life, adapting to local conditions, and emphasizing practical results.
Article 6: The main contents of patriotic education are:
(1) Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era;
(2) History of the Communist Party, new China, reform and opening, the development of socialism, and the development of the Chinese people;
(3) The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Communist Party’s great achievements, historical experience, and vivid practice in leading the people to unite in struggle;
(4) The exceptional culture of the Chinese people, revolutionary culture, and advanced socialist culture;
(5) National symbols and signs such as the national flag, anthem, and emblem;
(6) The majestic landscape and historical and cultural heritage of the motherland;
(7) Knowledge and conception of areas such as the Constitution and laws, national and ethnic unity, national security and defense;
(8) The deeds of heroes and martyrs and advanced model personages, and their embodiment of our people’s spirit and the spirit of the times;
(9) Other content that is rich in patriotic spirit.
Article 7: The state is to carry out education to build a strong sense of the community of the Chinese people, promoting exchanges, communication, and contact between all ethnicities; enhance identification with the great motherland, the Chinese people, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and Socialism with Chinese Characteristics; and construct a spiritual home owned collectively by the Chinese people.
Article 8: Patriotic education shall persist in imparting and developing the exceptional Chinese traditional culture, carry forward the Core Socialist Values, promote the establishment of a socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, solidify cultural self-confidence, to build the modern civilization of the Chinese people.
Article 9: Patriotic education shall combine carrying forward the spirit of patriotism with expanding openness to the world; persist in being rational, tolerant, and open; respect the historical traits and cultural traditions of each nation, and draw upon and take in all exceptional cultural achievements.
Article 10: On October 1st of each year, the National Day of the People's Republic of China, the state and all aspects of society are to organize diverse forms of celebration, focusing on carrying out patriotic education.
Chapter II: Duties and Tasks
Article 11: The central department in charge of patriotic education is responsible for guiding, overseeing, planning, and coordinating patriotic education efforts throughout the nation.
The central authorities and state organs are to organize and carry out patriotic education efforts within the scope of their respective duties.
Article 12: Local departments in charge of patriotic education are responsible for guiding, overseeing, planning, and coordinating patriotic education efforts in the corresponding region.
The administrative departments for education of local people’s governments at the county level or above shall strengthen the organization, coordination, guidance, and oversight of patriotic education for students. Local departments at the county-level and above, such as for culture and tourism, news and publication, radio and television, film, internet information, and artifacts, and other relevant departments, shall carry out patriotic education efforts within the scope of their respective duties.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army and Chinese people's armed police forces are to carry out patriotic education efforts in accordance with this law and the relevant provisions of the Central Military Commission, and fully utilize their resources to carry out patriotic education for the public.
Article 13: Labor unions, communist youth leagues, womens federations, associations of industry and commerce, federations of literary and art circles, writers' associations, associations of science and technology, federations of returned overseas Chinese, Taiwan compatriots federations, disabled persons federations, youth federations, and other mass organizations should give full play to their respective advantages and carry out patriotic education for the fields and groups they have contact with.
Article 14: The state is to employ diverse means to carry out publicity and education on the rule of law and education on national security and defense, to enhance citizens’ legal awareness and their conception of national security and defense, and to guide citizens to conscientiously fulfill the obligations to preserve national and ethnic unity, and to preserve the nation’s security, honor, and interests.
Article 15: The state is to include patriotic education in the citizen’s education system. All levels and types of school shall have patriotic education permeate the entire course of school education, doing a good job of ideology and political theory courses, and having patriotic education integrated into all subjects.
All levels and types of schools, as well as other education institutions, shall establish mechanisms for linking courses related to patriotic education in accordance with state provisions, determine the key content of patriotic education based on the characteristics of each age group of students, and employ rich and appropriate teaching methods to enhance the focus, systematicness, affinity, and infectiousness of patriotic education.
Article 16: All levels and types of school shall combine classroom teaching with external practice experiences, integrating patriotic education content into the establishment of school culture and all types of school activity, organizing student participation in patriotic education bases and other venues and facilities, and participation in extracurricular practicum activities for patriotic education.
Article 17: The parents or other guardians of minors shall include love of the motherland in family education, support and cooperate with patriotic education teaching activities carried out by schools, and lead and encourage minors to participate in social activities for patriotic education.
Article 18: State organs shall strengthen patriotic education for public employees, giving play to public employees’ role in modeling and leading the way in the areas of being loyal and devoted to the nation, preserving national unity, promoting ethnic unity, and preserving the nation’s security, honor, and interests.
Article 19: Enterprises and public institutions shall include patriotic education in the education plans for that unit, vigorously carrying forward the spirit of model workers, labor, and craftsmanship, combining activities such as business management, operations training, and culture and sports with the carrying out of patriotic education.
Public institutions such as for education, science and technology, culture, health, and sport shall vigorously carry forward the spirit of scientists and professionalism, to publicize and cultivate intellectuals’, technical professionals’, and athletes’ patriotic feelings and actions of cherishing the motherland, serving the people, and winning glory for the nation.
Article 20: Basic-level people's governments and mass autonomous organizations shall integrate patriotic education in activities on the establishment of a socialist spiritual civilization, embody the spirit of patriotism in citizen and villager conventions, and encourage and support the carrying out of mass cultural and sporting activities and other activities on the theme of patriotism.
Article 21: Social groups such as industry associations, and chambers of commerce shall embody the spirit of patriotism in group charters and industry codes, and carry out patriotic education in light of the corresponding groups’ or industries’ characteristics, fostering members’ warm patriotism and willingness to act for society, giving play to the normative role of public figures and persons with social influence among the members.
Article 22: The state encourages and supports religious groups, religious institutions, and religious activity sites’ carrying out of patriotic education, enhancing religious professionals’ and believers’ sense of nation, citizenship, and rule of law, and their patriotic feelings, guiding religion to adapt to socialist society.
Article 23: The state is to adopt measures to carry out history and cultural education, and education on the practice of “one country, two systems”, enhancing patriotic feelings among compatriots from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region, consciously preserving national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.
The state is to strengthen publicity and education promoting the policy of uniting the motherland, enhancing the understanding of all Chinese people, including Taiwan compatriots, of the sacred duty to complete the great undertaking of uniting the motherland; protect the rights and interests of Taiwan compatriots in accordance with law, resolutely oppose the separatist move of “Taiwan independence”, to preserve the fundamental interests of the Chinese people.
The state is to strengthen communication with overseas Chinese, doing a good job in the safeguarding of rights and interests and in services, enhancing overseas Chinese feelings of patriotism and carrying forward the patriotic tradition.
Chapter III: Implementation Measures
Article 24: The central and provincial-level departments in charge of patriotic education shall strengthen the planning of patriotic education efforts, guide and promote innovative methods of patriotic education by relevant departments and units, fully utilize all types of patriotic education resources and platforms, and promote the effective implementation of patriotic education.
Article 25: People’s governments at the county-level and above shall strengthen the protection, management, and use of red resources, unearthing red resources that have historical value or commemorative significance, promoting the establishment of demonstration areas for the integrated development of red tourism, and give play to the educational function of red resources to pass on the spirit of patriotism.
Departments such as for culture and tourism, housing and urban-rural construction, and cultural artifacts for people's governments at the county level or above shall strengthen the protection and use of cultural relics, historical sites, traditional villages, traditional crafts, and other such historical and cultural heritage, unearthing the patriotic spirit they contain, advancing the deeply integrated development of culture and tourism, and guiding citizens to appreciate the magnificent landscape when sightseeing to feel the long history and splendid culture, and stimulate warm patriotism.
Article 26: Patriotic bases shall strengthen content construction, enrich exhibition methods, and create fine displays to carry out patriotic education activities for state organs, enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, and citizens, and to facilitate their visits and study, giving full play to their functions in patriotic education.
All types of museums, memorials, libraries, museums of science and technology, cultural halls, art museums, centers for practice in the new era civilization practice centers, and so forth shall fully utilize their resources and advantages to carry out patriotic education activities through means such as publicity exhibitions and experiential practice.
Article 27: The state is to use the reward and commendation system for meritorious contributions to reward those who have made outstanding contributions in the construction fo a strong nation or rejuvenation of the people, carrying forward the spirit of the people with patriotism at its core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation at its core.
Article 28: On the Day of Commemoration of the Chinese People's victory over Japan, Martyr’s Day, the Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Nanjing Massacre, and other important anniversaries, people’s governments at the county-level and above shall organize and carry out memorial activities, including memorial ceremonies such as offering flowers, paying tribute at monuments, sweeping martyr’s tombs, and holding public memorial events.
Article 29: On important holidays such as Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year’s Day, International Women’s Day, International Labor Day, Youth Day, International Children’s Day, and the Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival, organize and carry out special folk culture activities and memorial celebrations to enhance feelings for home and country.
Article 30: In organizing and holding major celebrations, commemorative activities, and large-scale cultural and sports activities or exhibitions, the national flag is to be raised and the national anthem is to be sung in a dignified and ceremonious fashion in accordance with law.
When holding ceremonies such as the constitutional oath, and the oaths of office for soldiers and reservice in accordance with law, the flag shall be hung and the national anthem sung at the site for the oath, and the oath shall embody the spirit of patriotism.
Article 31: Radio stations, television stations, newspaper publishers, and so forth shall innovate methods for publicity and reporting, using methods such as the production, broadcast, and printing of exceptional works on patriotic themes, having special columns, strengthening news reporting, and publishing public interest advertising to vividly tell patriotic stories and carry forward the spirit of patriotism.
Article 32: Internet information service providers shall strengthen the construction of online patriotic education content, producing and transmitting internet information and works that embody the spirit of patriotism, and developing and operating new technologies and products to vividly carry out patriotic education activities.
Chapter IV: Support Safeguards
Article 33: The state is to encourage and support enterprises, public institutions, social organizations, and citizens in carrying out patriotic education activities in accordance with law.
The state is to support the carrying out of theoretical research on patriotic research education, strengthening the training of professional talent at multiple levels.
The state is to give commendations and rewards to units and individuals making outstanding contributions to patriotic education efforts in accordance with relevant state provisions.
Article 34: The central department in charge of patriotic education is to establish and complete systems for the designation, protection, and management of patriotic education bases, formulate rules for the protection and use of patriotic education bases, and strengthen guidance and oversight of the protection, management, and use of patriotic education bases.
All levels of people's government shall strengthen the planning, construction, and management of patriotic education bases, improve systems for making them free and open, and mechanisms to safeguard them.
Article 35: The state is to encourage and support the creation of literary, video, musical, dance, theater, visual art, caligraphy, and other artistic works on patriotic themes, and highlight their patriotic orientation when selecting, commending, exhibiting, or performing exceptional artistic works.
Article 36: The state is to encourage and support the publication of exceptional extracurricular readings that embody the spirit of patriotism and encourage and support the development of children’s and youth’s animation, a/v products, and so forth that embody the spirit of patriotism.
Article 37: All citizens and organizations shall carry forward the spirit of patriotism and consciously preserve the nation’s security, honor, and interests, they must not exhibit the following conduct:
(1) Insulting the national flag, national anthem, national emblem, or having other conduct that harms the dignity of the national flag, national anthem, or national emblem;
(2) Distorting, smearing, desecrating, or negating the deeds and spirit of heroes and martyrs;
(3) Advocating, glorifying, or denying wards of aggression, acts of invasion, and massacres;
(4) Occupying, destroying, or defiling patriotic education facilities;
(5) Other conduct prohibited by laws and administrative regulations.
Article 38: Departments such as for education, culture and tourism, veterans affairs, press and publication, radio and television, film, internet information, and cultural artifacts shall follow their legally-prescribed duties to promptly stop the conduct provided for in article 37 of this law, and where a negative social impact is created, they shall order that the impact be promptly eliminated and give punishments in accordance with laws and administrative regulations. Where violations of public security are constituted, a public security administrative sanction is lawfully given; where a crime is constituted, criminal responsibility is to be pursued in accordance with law.
Article 39:Where departments and units with duties for patriotic education do not perform their patriotic education duties in accordance with law, sanctions are to be given to the responsible leaders and other directly responsible personnel in accordance with law.
Chapter V: Supplementary Provisions
Article 40: This Law takes effect on January 1, 2024.
