Chinese lawmaker urges introduction of space law

A Chinese lawmaker said here Sunday that China needs its own space law to better carry out international conventions, protect its rights in outer space, and regulate domestic space activities.

Hu Hao, deputy commander-in-chief of the lunar exploration center under the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry of National Defense (COSTIND) and a deputy to the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, made the call on the sidelines of the annual legislative session.

"China is among the very few countries that are active in space exercises but lacking a space law," Hu said, calling for legislative measures to protect its space assets and conduct planning and protection for spatial frequency resources.

The law should also involve the regulation of the commercialization of satellite remote sensing data services, as some remote sensing data service providers, including Google Earth, have exposed important and sensitive information on the Internet, causing widespread concern and controversy.

A space law could help ensure China's implementation of the four international conventions that it has joined since becoming a member of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, as well as solve legal issues amid China's increasing space cooperations with other countries, said Hu.

China currently has few separate regulations on space activities, which are unable to meet the rising demands of space development, according to Hu.