Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People\'s Republic of China

Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People's Republic of China 

 

(Adopted　at　the　18th　Meeting　of　the　Standing　Committee　of the

Sixth　National　 People's　Congress, promulgated by Order No. 46 of the

President　of　the　 People's Republic of China on December 2, 1986, and

effective as of May 1, 1987)

CONTENTS

CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS

CHAPTER II QUARANTINE INSPECTION

CHAPTER III MONITORING OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

CHAPTER IV HEALTH SUPERVISION

CHAPTER V HEALTH LEGAL LIABILITY

CHAPTER VI SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article　 1.　 This　 Law　 is　formulated　in　order　to prevent

infectious　diseases　 from　 spreading　 into or out of the country, to

carry　out　frontier　health　and　quarantine　inspection and to protect

human health.

Article　2.　Frontier　health　and quarantine offices shall be set

up　at　international　 seaports,　 airports　and ports of entry at land

frontiers　 and　 boundary　　rivers　 (hereinafter　 referred　 to　 as

"frontier　 ports")　 of the People's　Republic　of China. These offices

shall　 carry　out　the　quarantining　and　 monitoring　 of　infectious

diseases,　and　health　inspection　in accordance with the provisions of

this Law.

　

Health　administration　departments　under　the　State　Council　shall

be　in　charge　of　frontier　health　and quarantine work throughout the

country.

Article　 3.　Infectious　diseases　specified　in　this Law shall

include　quarantinable infectious diseases and infectious diseases to be

monitored.

　

Quarantinable　 infections　diseases　shall　include　plague, cholera,

yellow　fever　 and　other　infectious diseases determined and announced

by the State Council.

　

Infectious　 diseases　 to　 be　 monitored　shall　be　determined and

announced by health administration departments under the State Council.

Article　 4.　Persons,　conveyances　and　transport equipment, as

well　as articles　such　as　baggage,　goods　and　postal　parcels　that

may　 transmit　 quarantinable　　infectious　 diseases,　shall　undergo

quarantine　inspection　upon entering　or　exiting the country. No entry

or　exit　shall　be　allowed　without　the　 permission　of　a　frontier

health　　 and　　 quarantine　　 office.　　 Specific　 measures　　for

implementation of this　Law shall be stipulated in detailed regulations.

Article　 5.　 On　 discovering　 a　 quarantinable　 infectious

disease　or　a　disease　 suspected　 to　be　quarantinable,　a frontier

health　and　quarantine　office　shall,　in addition to taking necessary

measures,　 immediately　 notify　 the　　local　 health　administration

department;　at　the　same　time,　it shall make a　report to the health

administration　 department　 under　the　State　Council　by　the　 most

expeditious　 means　 possible,　within 24 hours at the latest. Post and

telecommunications　 departments shall give priority to transmissions of

reports of epidemic diseases.

　

Messages　 exchanged　 between　the　People's　Republic　of　China and

foreign　countries　 on　the　epidemic　situation of infectious diseases

shall　be　handled　by　　the　health　administration　department　under

the　State　Council　in conjunction with other departments concerned.

Article　6.　When a quarantinable infectious disease is prevalent

abroad　or　 within　 China,　 the　 State　Council　may　order relevant

sections　of　the　border　to　be　blockaded　or　adopt　other emergency

measures.

CHAPTER II QUARANTINE INSPECTION

Article　 7.　 Persons　and　conveyances　on entering the country

shall　be　subject　to quarantine inspection at designated places at the

first　frontier port　of　their　arrival.　Except　for　harbour　pilots,

no　person　shall　be　allowed　to　embark　on　or　disembark　from　any

means　of　transport　and　no　articles　 such　 as　baggage,　goods　or

postal　 parcels　 shall　be　loaded or unloaded　without the health and

quarantine　 inspector's　 permission.　 Specific　 measures　　for　the

implementation of this Law shall be stipulated in detailed regulations.

Article　 8. Persons and conveyances exiting the country shall be

subject to quarantine inspection at the last frontier port of departure.

Article　 9.　When　foreign　ships or airborne vehicles anchor or

land　at　places　other　than　frontier　ports　in China, the persons in

charge　of　the　ships　or　airborne vehicles must report immediately to

the　nearest　frontier　health　　and　 quarantine　 office　or　to　the

local　　health　 administration　department.　 Except　 in　 cases　 of

emergency,　no person shall be allowed to embark　on　or　disembark from

the　ship or airborne vehicle, and no articles such　as　baggage,　goods

and　　postal　 parcels　 shall　be　loaded　or　unloaded　without　 the

permission　 of　 a　frontier　health and quarantine office or the local

health administration department.

Article　　10.　　When　a　quarantinable　infectious　disease,　a

disease　 suspected　　to　 be　quarantinable　or　a　death　due　to　an

unidentified　cause　other than　accidental　harm　is　discovered　at　a

frontier　 port,　the relevant department　at　the frontier port and the

person　in　charge　of the conveyance must　report　immediately　to　the

frontier　 health　and　quarantine　office　and　apply　for　provisional

quarantine inspection.

Article　　11.　 According　 to　the　results　of　an　inspection

made　 by　quarantine　 doctors,　 the　 frontier　health and quarantine

office　shall sign and　issue a quarantine certificate for entry or exit

to　 a　 conveyance　 either　 uncontaminated　 by　 any　 quarantinable

infectious　disease or already given decontamination treatment.

Article　 12.　A person having a quarantinable infectious disease

shall　 be　 placed　 in　 isolation　 by　 the　 frontier　 health　and

quarantine　office　for　a　period　 determined　by　the　results of the

medical　 examination,　 while　 a　 person　suspected　 of　 having　 a

quarantinable　infectious　disease　shall　be　kept for inspection for a

period determined by the incubation period of such disease.

　

The　 corpse　 of　anyone　who　died　from　a quarantinable infectious

disease must be cremated at a nearby place.

Article　13. Any conveyance subject to entry quarantine inspection

shall　be　　disinfected,　　deratted,　 treated　with　insecticides　or

given　 other　sanitation　measures　when　found　to　be　in　any of the

following conditions:

　(1)　 having　 come　 from　 an　area where a quarantinable infectious

disease is　epidemic;

　(2) being contaminated by a quarantinable infectious disease; or

　(3)　 revealing　 the presence of rodents which affect human health or

insects which are carriers of disease.

　

Apart　 from　 exceptional　cases,　when　the　person in charge of the

foreign　conveyance　 refuses　to allow sanitation measures to be taken,

the　conveyance　shall　 be　 allowed　 to　 leave　the　frontier of the

People's　Republic　of　China　without　delay　under　the supervision of

the frontier health and quarantine office.

Article　 14.　A　frontier　health　and　quarantine　office shall

conduct　sanitation　 inspections　 and　 disinfect,　derat,　treat with

insecticides　or　apply　other　sanitation　measures　to　articles　such

as　baggage,　goods　and　postal　 parcels　that　come　from an epidemic

area　and are contaminated by a quarantinable　infectious disease or may

act as a vehicle of a quarantinable infectious disease.

　

A　 consignor　or an agent for the transportation of a corpse or human

remains　into　 or　out　of　the　country　must　declare the matter to a

frontier　health　and　quarantine　office;　transport thereof, in either

direction　across　the　border,　shall　 not　be　allowed until sanitary

inspection proves satisfactory and an entry or exit permit is given.

CHAPTER III MONITORING OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Article　 15.　 Frontier　health　and　quarantine　offices　shall

monitor　persons　 on　 entry　 or　 exit　for　quarantinable infectious

diseases and shall take necessary preventive and control measures.

Article　 16.　 Frontier　health　and quarantine offices shall be

authorized　to　 require　persons　on entry or exit to complete a health

declaration　 form　and　produce　certificates　of　vaccination　against

certain　infectious　diseases,　a　health　certificate or other relevant

documents.

Article　17.　For　persons　who　suffer　from　infectious diseases

to　be monitored,　who　come　from　areas　in　foreign　countries　where

infectious　diseases　 to　 be　 monitored　are　epidemic　or　who　have

close　contact with patients　suffering　from　infectious diseases to be

monitored,　 the　frontier　health　 and　 quarantine　 offices　 shall,

according　to each case, issue them medical　 convenience　 cards,　keep

them　　for　　inspection　 or　 take　 other　preventive　 or　 control

measures,　while　promptly　notifying　the　local　health administration

department　 about　such　cases.　Medical　services　at all places shall

give　 priority　 in　 consultation　and treatment to persons possessing

medical convenience cards.

CHAPTER IV HEALTH SUPERVISION

Article　 18.　 Frontier　health　and quarantine office shall, in

accordance　with　 state　 health standards, exercise health supervision

over　the　sanitary　conditions　 at　 frontier　ports　and the sanitary

conditions　of　conveyances　on　entry　or　exit at frontier ports. They

shall:

(1)　　 supervise　　and　　direct　 concerned　 personnel　 on　 the

prevention　and elimination of rodents and insects that carry diseases;

(2)　inspect　and　test　food　and　drinking　water and facilities for

their storage, supply and delivery;

(3)　 supervise　 the　 health　of　employees engaged in the supply of

food and drinking water and check their health certificates; and

(4)　 supervise　 and　inspect　the disposal of garbage, waste matter,

sewage, excrement and ballast water.

Article　 19.　 Frontier health and quarantine offices shall have

frontier　port　 health　 supervisors,　who　shall　carry　out the tasks

assigned by the frontier health and quarantine offices.

　

In　 performing　 their　 duties,　frontier　port　health　supervisors

shall　be　authorized　 to　 conduct　 health　 supervision　 and　 give

technical　 guidance　regarding　 frontier　 ports　 and　conveyances on

entry　or　exit;　to　give　advice　for　 improvement　wherever sanitary

conditions　are　unsatisfactory　and　factors　exist　 that　may　spread

infectious　diseases;　and　to　coordinate departments concerned to take

necessary measures and apply sanitary treatment.

CHAPTER V LEGAL LIABILITY

Article　20.　A　frontier health and quarantine office may warn or

fine,　according　 to　 the　circumstances,　any unit or individual that

has　violated　the　provisions　of　this　Law　by　committing any of the

following acts:

　(1)　 evading　 quarantine　 inspection　 or　withholding the truth in

reports to the frontier health and quarantine office;

　(2)　 embarking　on　or　disembarking　from conveyances upon entry, or

loading　or　unloading　 articles　 such　 as　 baggage, goods or postal

parcels,　 without　 the　 permission　 of　 a　 frontier　 health　 and

quarantine　 office　and　refusing　to　listen　to　the　office's advice

against such acts.

　

All fines thus collected shall be turned over to the state treasury.

Article　21.　If　a concerned party refuses to obey a decision on

a　fine　made　 by　 a　frontier　health　and quarantine office, he may,

within　15 days after　receiving　notice　of　the　fine,　file a lawsuit

in　a　local people's court.　The　frontier health and quarantine office

may　apply　to　the　people's　court　for　mandatory　enforcement　of　a

decision　 if　the concerned party neither files a lawsuit nor obeys the

decision within the 15-day term.

Article　22.　If　a quarantinable infectious disease is caused to

spread　or　 is　 in　 great　 danger　 of being spread as a result of a

violation　of　the　provisions　 of　this　Law,　criminal responsibility

shall　be　investigated　in accordance　with Article 178 of the Criminal

Law of the People's Republic of　China.

Article　 23.　The　personnel　of　frontier health and quarantine

offices　must　enforce　this　Law impartially, perform duties faithfully

and　promptly　conduct　 quarantine　 inspection　 on　 conveyances　and

persons　upon　entry　or　exit.　 Those　 who　 violate　 the law or are

derelict　in　their　duties　shall　be　given　 disciplinary　sanctions;

where　 circumstances　 are　serious　enough　to　constitute　 a　crime,

criminal　 responsibility　 shall　 be　investigated　in accordance with

the law.

CHAPTER VI SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

Article　 24.　 Where　the　provisions　of　this　Law differ from

those　of　international　 treaties　on health and quarantine that China

has　concluded　or　joined,　 the　 provisions　 of　such　international

treaties　shall　prevail,　with　the　exception of the treaty clauses on

which the People's Republic of China has declared reservations.

Article　 25.　In　cases　of　temporary　contact between frontier

defence　units　of　the　People's　Republic　of　China　and　those　of a

neighbouring　country,　of　 a　temporary visit at a designated place on

the　frontier　by　residents of the　border　areas　of the two countries

and　of　entry　or　exit of conveyances and　persons　of　the two sides,

quarantine　inspection shall be conducted in line　with　the　agreements

between　 China　and　the other country or, in the absence　of　such　an

agreement,　in　accordance　with the relevant regulations of the Chinese

Government.

Article　 26.　 Frontier　 health　 and　quarantine offices shall

charge　 for　 health　 and　 quarantine　services　according　to　state

regulations.

Article　27.　The　health　administration　department　under　the

State　Council　 shall,　 in　 accordance　 with　 this　Law,　formulate

rules　 for　its　implementation,　 which　shall　go　into　effect after

being submitted to and approved by the State Council.

Article　 28.　 This　Law shall go into effect on May 1, 1987. On

the　same　day,　the　Frontier　Health　and　Quarantine　Regulations　of

the　 People's Republic of China promulgated on December 23, 1957, shall

be invalidated.