China to improve public access to national archives

BEIJING, July 5 (Xinhua) -- China will grant its public wider-ranging and more convenient access to national historical archives, the country's National Archives Administration has said.

The administration has recently introduced a set of new guidelines regarding the disclosure of archives to the general public. The new guidelines made stipulations regarding the principles, circumstances and procedure of archives disclosure, as well as how the public can access and use the archives.

According to the guidelines, individuals and organizations with proper credentials can access disclosed archives on-site or via virtual channels including websites and emails, ensuring streamlined archive access.

In addition, as per China's new Archives Law enacted in January 2021, foreign individuals and organizations now enjoy equal rights to access disclosed archives in China as Chinese citizens and organizations. Therefore, the new guidelines are also applicable in their archive-related activities, as the separate set of guidelines regarding such activities has been abolished.

The administration reiterated that the disclosure of archives will be carried out in accordance with laws and regulations regarding national security.

The guidelines will come into effect on August 1.