(Adopted at the 28th Meeting of the Ninth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on June 29, 2002 and promulgated by Order No. 71 of the President of the People’s Republic of China on June 29, 2002)

Contents

Chapter I General Provisions

Chapter II Organization and Administration

Chapter III Responsibility of the Society

Chapter IV Safeguards

Chapter V Legal Responsibility

Chapter VI Supplementary Provision

Chapter I General Provisions

Article 1 This Law is enacted in accordance with the Constitution and other related laws for the purposes of implementing the strategy of invigorating the country through science and education and the strategy of sustainable development, redoubling the efforts to popularize science and technology, raising the citizens' scientific and cultural level and promoting economic and social progress.

Article 2 This Law shall apply to activities conducted by the State and the community to popularize scientific and technological knowledge, promote scientific approaches, disseminate scientific ideas and carry forward scientific spirit.

For popularization of science and technology (hereinafter referred to as PST), such ways as may make it easy for the general public to understand, accept and participate in shall be adopted.

Article 3 State organs, armed forces, public organizations, enterprises and institutions, rural grassroots organizations and other organizations shall work for PST.

Citizens have the right to participate in PST activities.

Article 4 PST is a public welfare undertaking and an essential component of the socialist material and spiritual civilization. It is a long-term task of the State to develop the PST undertaking.

The State supports efforts for PST made by people in minority ethnic areas and in outlying and poverty-stricken areas.

Article 5 The State protects the lawful rights and interests of the PST organizations and workers, encourage them to carry out PST activities independently, and initiate PST undertakings according to law.

Article 6 The State supports all quarters of society to initiate PST undertakings. Such undertakings may be operated under market mechanism.

Article 7 Work for PST shall be characterized by mass participation, socialization and regularity and shall be integrated with practice and carried out in light of local conditions, and take various forms.

Article 8 In PST, the scientific spirit shall be upheld and pseudo shall be opposed and resisted. No unit or individual may, in the name of PST, engage in activities at the expense of public interests.

Article 9 The State supports and promotes cooperation and exchange with foreign countries in the field of PST.

Chapter II Organization and Administration

Article 10 To exercise leadership over PST, people's governments at various levels shall incorporate it into their plans for national economic and social development, in order to create a good environment and favorable conditions for PST.

People's governments at or above the county level shall establish a coordination system for PST.

Article 11 The administrative department for science and technology under the State Council shall be in charge of formulating national plans for PST, provide policy-related orientation and exercise supervision and inspection, in order to advance work in this field.

Other administrative departments under the State Council shall, within the limits of their functions and duties, be in charge of work related to PST.

The administrative departments for science and technology of the local people's governments at or above the county level and other administrative departments shall, under the leadership of the people's governments at the same level and within the limits of their respective functions and duties, be in charge of work related to PST in their own regions.

Article 12 The science and technology associations constitute the main quarters of the society working for PST. The associations shall carry out activities for PST which are characterized by mass participation, socialization and regularity, support related public organizations, enterprises and institutions in their efforts to carry out activities for PST, assist the government in formulating PST plans, and put forward suggestions to the governments when the latter makes policy-decisions on PST.

Chapter III Responsibility of the Society

Article 13 PST is a common task of the society as a whole. People form all circles of the society shall get organized to participate in different kinds of PST activities.

Article 14 Various kinds of schools and other institutions of education shall make education in popular science and technology an essential component of quality-oriented education and make arrangements for students to carry out varied forms of activities for PST.

Science and technology halls (stations), science and technology centers and other education bases for PST shall arrange extracurricular activities for education in science and technology among teen-agers.

Article 15 Institutions of scientific research and technological development, institutions of higher education and public organizations in the fields of natural and social sciences shall get science and technology workers and teachers organized and support them in carrying out activities for PST and shall encourage them to publicize the importance of PST in combination with their own jobs. Where conditions permit, laboratories, exhibition rooms and other places and facilities shall be open to the general public, for holding lectures and providing consultancy there.

Science and technology workers and teachers shall give full play to their advantages and expertise and take and active part in and support activities for PST.

Article 16 Institutions and organizations of the press, publishing radio, film and television, and culture shall give full play to their own advantages to make a success of PST.

In comprehensive newspapers and periodicals there shall be a special column or page for PST; radio and TV broadcasting stations shall have a PST program or relay such programs; film and television program production, distribution and showing institutions shall redouble their efforts in the production, distribution and showing of films and TV programs on PST; Institutions for publishing and distributing books and periodicals shall support the publication and distribution of books and periodicals on PST; comprehensive internet websites shall have PST pages; science and technology halls (stations), libraries, museums, culture centers and other places for cultural activities shall play role of education in popular science and technology.

Article 17 State organs and institutions in charge of medical service and health care, family planning, environmental protection, land resources, sports, meteorology, earthquake, cultural relics, tourism, etc. shall conduct activities for PST in combination with their own functions.

Article 18 Trade unions, Communist Youth League organizations, women's federations and other public organizations shall arrange activities for PST in combination with the characteristics of the different groups of people they work among.

Article 19 Enterprises shall conduct activities for PST in combination with technical up-dating and training in workers' skills and may have, where conditions permit, halls and facilities open to the general public for PST.

Article 20 The State strengthens work for PST in rural areas. Rural grassroots organizations shall, in light of the local need for economic and social development and centering on scientific production and a cultured life, play the role of town or township PST organizations or rural schools in the efforts for PST.

The various forms of rural economic organizations, institutions for the spread of agricultural technology and professional technology associations in rural areas shall, while spreading the use of advanced and applicable technologies, disseminate scientific and technological knowledge among the farmers.

Article 21 Urban grassroots organizations and communities shall, by making use of the local resources in science and technology, education, culture, public health, tourism, etc., conduct activities for PST in combination with the needs of the residents in their daily lives, study, health care, recreation, etc.

Article 22 Units in charge of the operation and management of parks, department stores, airports, railway stations, ports and other public places shall, within the limits of their jurisdiction, increase publicity of the need for PST.

Chapter IV Safeguards

Article 23 People's governments at various levels shall incorporate the expense for PST into their budget at the same level and gradually increase the input in PST, in order to guarantee that work in this field will go smoothly.

Related departments of people's governments at various levels shall arrange a certain amount of funds for PST.

Article 24 People's governments of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government and other local people's governments where conditions permit shall incorporate the construction of halls and facilities for PST into their plans for urban and rural construction and plannings for capital construction; they shall make better use of, maintain or refurbish the existing halls and facilities for PST.

The halls for PST built with government investment shall be manned with the necessary full-time staff and be open to the general public all the year round, teen-agers shall enjoy preferences, and the halls may not be used for other purposes. Where they are short of funds, the government at the same level shall provide them with subsidies to enable them to operate normally.

Where conditions are lacking for building halls for PST activities, the existing facilities for science and technology, education, culture, etc. may be used for such activities and galleries and show windows for PST may be set up.

Article 25 The State supports work for PST and, in accordance with law, applies preferential taxation policies for undertakings in this field.

For conducting PST activities and initiating PST undertakings, PST organizations may, in accordance with law, obtain subsidies and donation.

Article 26 The State encourages public organizations and individuals at home and abroad to establish PST funds in support of support PST undertakings.

Article 27 The State encourages public organizations and individuals at home and abroad to donate property in support of PST undertakings. Where such property is used for PST undertakings or is invested in the construction of PST halls or facilities, preferences shall be given in accordance with law.

Article 28 Funds earmarked for PST and property donated by public organizations and individuals for PST undertakings shall be used for such undertakings, and no unit or individual may pocket, withhold or misappropriate them.

Article 29 People's governments and science and technology associations at various levels and related units shall support PST workers in their work and shall commend and award the organizations and individuals that have made important contributions to PST.

Chapter V Legal Responsibility

Article 30 Whoever, in the name of PST, engages in activities at the expense of public interests, disturbs social order or obtains money or things of value by cheating shall be criticized and educated by a competent department and be stopped; if he violates provisions on security administration, the public security organ shall impose a security administration punishment on him according to law; if a crime is constituted, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with law.

Article 31 Whoever, in violation of the provisions of this Law, pockets, withholds or misappropriates government funds earmarked for PST, or embezzles or misappropriates money or articles donated shall be ordered by a competent department to return them within a time limit; the persons who are directly in charge and the other persons who are directly responsible shall be given administrative sanctions in accordance with law; if a crime is constituted, he and the persons shall be investigated for criminal responsibility.

Article 32 Whoever, without authorization, puts to other uses the PST halls constructed with government investment shall be ordered by a competent department to set it right within a time limit. Where the circumstances are serious, the persons who are directly in charge and the other persons who are directly responsible shall be given administrative sanctions in accordance with law.

Whoever disturbs order in PST halls or damages PST halls or facilities shall ordered to desist from the wrongdoing, put the halls or facilities back to their former state or compensate for the damages. If a crime is constituted, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with law.

Article 33 Any state functionary who abuses his power in PST, neglects his duties or engages in malpractices for personal gain shall be given an administrative sanction in accordance with law. If a crime is constituted, he shall be investigated for criminal responsibility in accordance with law.

Chapter VI Supplementary Provision

Article 34 This Law shall go into effect as of the date of promulgation.