Regulations on Export Control of Dual-Use Biological Agents and Related Equipment and Technologies

    Updated : 2015-09-11

(Promulgated by Decree No. 365 of the State Council of the People's Republic of China on October 14, 2002, and effective as of December 1, 2002)

Article 1 These Regulations are formulated for the purposes of strengthening export control of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies, and safeguarding the State security and social and public interests.

Article 2 The export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies referred to in these Regulations means the export for trade of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies listed in the "Dual-Use Biological Agents and Related Equipment and Technologies Export Control List" (hereinafter referred to as the Control List) attached to these Regulations, and the exchange with, interchange with, gift to, exhibition in, assistance to, provision of service for as such and other forms of technological transfer thereof to foreign countries and regions.

Article 3 The export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies shall be in accordance with relevant laws, administrative regulations of the State and these Regulations, and shall not imperil the State security and social and public interests.

Article 4The State shall exercise strict control on the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies so as to prevent dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies from being used for the purpose of biological weapons.

Article 5The State shall practice a licensing system for the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies in the Control List. Without being licensed, no unit or individual shall export such dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies.

Article 6Exporters of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies shall register themselves with the competent department in charge of foreign economic relations and trade of the State Council (hereinafter referred to as the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council). Without such registration, no unit or individual shall export dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies. The specific measures for such registration shall be formulated by the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council.

Article 7The receiving party of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies shall guarantee:

(1) not to use the imported dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies for the purpose of biological weapons;

(2) not to use dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies supplied by China for the purposes other than the declared end-use without the consent of the Chinese Government; and

(3) not to transfer dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies to any third party other than the declared end-user without the consent of the Chinese Government.

Article 8Anyone who intends to export dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies listed in the Control List shall apply to the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council, fill in the export application form for dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies (hereinafter referred to as the export application form), and submit the following documents:

(1) identifications of the applicant's legal representative, chief manager(s) and the person(s) handling the deal;

(2) duplicates of the contract or agreement, or other certification documents;

(3) technical specifications of the dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies;

(4) certificates of end-user and end-use;

(5) documents of guarantee as defined in Article 7 of these Regulations; and

(6) other documents as may be required by the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council.

Article 9An applicant shall truthfully fill in the export application form.

Export application forms shall be uniformly produced by the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council.

Article 10The competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council shall, from the date of receiving the export application form and the documents set forth in Article 8 of these Regulations, examine the application, or examine the application jointly with other relevant departments.

The competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council shall, within 15 working days, make a decision of approval or denial of the application for the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies listed in Part I of the Control List; the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council shall, within 45 working days, make a decision of approval or denial of the application for the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies listed in Part II of the Control List.

Article 11Where the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies entails significant impact on the State security and social and public interests, the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council shall, jointly with relevant departments, submit the case to the State Council for approval.

Where the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies is submitted to the State Council for approval, the timing restrictions set forth in Article 10 of these Regulations shall not be applied.

Article 12Where an application for the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies is examined and approved, the competent foreign economic and trade department of the State Council shall issue a licence for the export of dual-use biological agents and related equipment and technologies (hereinafter referred to as an export licence), and notify the Customs in writing.