Insulting national anthem to constitute a crime

Insulting the Chinese national anthem would be considered a criminal offence, according to a draft law which was submitted for its second reading on Monday.

The draft was submitted to the 12th Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress ( NPC) for its second reading two months after the first one in June, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The second draft makes the punishment harsher than the first one.

“Those, who maliciously alter the lyrics in public or play and sing the national anthem in a disrespectful way, can be detained for up to 15 days by public security departments and if the behavior constituted a crime, they will have to face criminal charges,” according to the draft.

“The national anthem is rooted in Chinese revolution. Recognizing China’s anthem is to recognize the Communist Party of China’s accomplishments in the revolution,” Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, told the Global Times on Monday.

The law, if passed, will deter people from trying to distort China’s history and refute CPC’s leadership, and further remind Chinese citizens to remain aware of perils in the era of peace, Su said.

China encourages citizens to play or sing the national anthem at proper events, to express their patriotism, the legal committee of the NPC said.

The song will only be allowed at formal political gatherings, such as the opening and closing of the NPC sessions, constitutional oath ceremonies and flag raising ceremonies.

Students in primary and high schools will have to learn the national anthem, as the draft proposes to include the anthem into their texts books, the draft said.

“Schools should teach children the history of the anthem and its spiritual connotation, as well as how to sing the anthem and follow the protocol,” the draft said.

The NPC Standing Committee also suggested including the national anthem law within the Basic Law of both Hong Kong and Macao, saying the law is a national law concerning State sovereignty, and special administrative regions should also implement it, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Monday.