����Article 12 Socialist public property is inviolable.

����The state protects socialist public property. Appropriation or damaging of state or collective property by any organization or individual by whatever means is prohibited.

����Article 13 The lawful private property of citizens is inviolable.

����The state protects according to law the right of citizens to own and inherit private property.

����The state may, in the public interest, appropriate or requisition private property of citizens for its use in accordance with the law, while making compensations.

����Article 14 The state continuously raises labor productivity, improves economic results and develops the productive forces by enhancing the enthusiasm of the working people, raising the level of their technical skill, disseminating advanced science and technology, improving the systems of economic administration and enterprise operation and management, instituting the socialist system of responsibility in various forms and improving the organization of work.

����The state practices strict economy and combats waste.

����The state properly apportions accumulation and consumption, concerns itself with the interests of the collective and the individual as well as of the state and, on the basis of expanded production, gradually improves the material and cultural life of the people.

����The state builds and improves a social security system that corresponds with the level of economic development.

����Article 15 The state practices socialist market economy.

����The state shall enhance economic legislation and improve macro-control of the economy.

����The state shall, in accordance with the law, prohibit disturbance of the socioeconomic order by any organization or individual.

����Article 16 State-owned enterprises have decision-making power with regard to operation and management within the limits prescribed by law.

����State-owned enterprises practice democratic management through congresses of workers and staff and in other ways in accordance with the law.

����Article 17 Collective economic organizations have decision-making power in conducting independent economic activities, on condition that they abide by the relevant laws.

����Collective economic organizations practice democratic management, elect and remove their managerial personnel in accordance with the law, and decide on major issues concerning operation and management.

����Article 18 The People's Republic of China permits foreign enterprises, other foreign economic organizations and individual foreigners to invest in China and to enter into various forms of economic cooperation with Chinese enterprises and other Chinese economic organizations in accordance with the law of the People's Republic of China.

����All foreign enterprises, other foreign economic organizations as well as Chinese-foreign joint ventures within Chinese territory shall abide by the law of the People's Republic of China. Their lawful rights and interests are protected by the law of the People's Republic of China.

����Article 19 The state undertakes the development of socialist education and works to raise the scientific and cultural level of the whole nation.

����The state establishes and administers schools of various types, universalizes compulsory primary education and promotes secondary, vocational and higher education as well as pre-school education.

����The state develops educational facilities in order to eliminate illiteracy and provide political, scientific, technical and professional education as well as general education for workers, farmers, state functionaries and other working people. It encourages people to become educated through independent study.

����The state encourages the collective economic organizations, state enterprises and institutions and other sectors of society to establish educational institutions of various types in accordance with the law.

����The state promotes the nationwide use of Putonghua (common speech based on Beijing pronunciation).

����Article 20 The state promotes the development of the natural and social sciences, disseminates knowledge of science and technology, and commends and rewards achievements in scientific research as well as technological innovations and inventions.

����Article 21 The state develops medical and health services, promotes modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, encourages and supports the setting up of various medical and health facilities by the rural economic collectives, state enterprises and institutions and neighborhood organizations, and promotes health and sanitation activities of a mass character, all for the protection of the people's health.

����The state develops physical culture and promotes mass sports activities to improve the people's physical fitness.

����Article 22 The state promotes the development of art and literature, the press, radio and television broadcasting, publishing and distribution services, libraries, museums, cultural centers and other cultural undertakings that serve the people and socialism, and it sponsors mass cultural activities.

����The state protects sites of scenic and historical interest, valuable cultural monuments and relics and other significant items of China's historical and cultural heritage.

����Article 23 The state trains specialized personnel in all fields who serve socialism, expands the ranks of intellectuals and creates conditions to give full scope to their role in socialist modernization.

����Article 24 The state strengthens the building of socialist spiritual civilization by promoting education in high ideals, ethics, general knowledge, discipline and legality, and by promoting the formulation and observance of rules of conduct and common pledges by various sections of the people in urban and rural areas.

����The state advocates the civic virtues of love for the motherland, for the people, for labor, for science and for socialism. It conducts education among the people in patriotism and collectivism, in internationalism and communism and in dialectical and historical materialism, to combat capitalist, feudalist and other decadent ideas.

����Article 25 The state promotes family planning so that population growth may fit the plans for economic and social development.

����Article 26 The state protects and improves the environment in which people live and the ecological environment. It prevents and controls pollution and other public hazards.

����The state organizes and encourages afforestation and the protection of forests.

����Article 27 All state organs carry out the principle of simple and efficient administration, the system of responsibility for work and the system of training functionaries and appraising their performance in order to constantly improve quality of work and efficiency and combat bureaucratism.

����All state organs and functionaries must rely on the support of the people, keep in close touch with them, heed their opinions and suggestions, accept their supervision and do their best to serve them.

����Article 28 The state maintains public order and suppresses treasonable and other criminal activities that endanger state security; it penalizes criminal activities that endanger public security and disrupt the socialist economy, as well as other criminal activities; and it punishes and reforms criminals.

����Article 29 The armed forces of the People's Republic of China belong to the people. Their tasks are to strengthen national defense, resist aggression, defend the motherland, safeguard the people's peaceful labor, participate in national reconstruction, and do their best to serve the people.

����The state strengthens the revolutionization, modernization and regularization of the armed forces in order to increase national defense capability.

����Article 30 The administrative division of the People's Republic of China is as follows:

����(1) The country is divided into provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government;

����(2) Provinces and autonomous regions are divided into autonomous prefectures, counties, autonomous counties, and cities; and

����(3) Counties and autonomous counties are divided into townships, ethnic townships, and towns.

����Municipalities directly under the Central Government and other large cities are divided into districts and counties. Autonomous prefectures are divided into counties, autonomous counties, and cities.

����All autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties are ethnic autonomous areas.

����Article 31 The state may establish special administrative regions when necessary. The systems to be instituted in special administrative regions shall be prescribed by law enacted by the National People's Congress in the light of the specific conditions.

����Article 32 The People's Republic of China protects the lawful rights and interests of foreigners within Chinese territory; foreigners on Chinese territory must abide by the laws of the People's Republic of China.

����The People's Republic of China may grant asylum to foreigners who request it for political reasons.

Chapter Two

The Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens

����Article 33 All persons holding the nationality of the People's Republic of China are citizens of the People's Republic of China.

����All citizens of the People's Republic of China are equal before the law.

����The state respects and guarantees human rights.

����Every citizen is entitled to the rights and at the same time must perform the duties prescribed by the Constitution and the law.

����Article 34 All citizens of the People's Republic of China who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote and stand for election, regardless of ethnic status, race, sex, occupation, family background, religious belief, education, property status or length of residence, except persons deprived of political rights according to law.

����Article 35 Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of speech, of the press, of assembly, of association, of procession and of demonstration.

����Article 36 Citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief.

����No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not ��to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.

����The state protects normal religious activities. No one may make use of religion to engage in activities that disrupt public order, impair the health of citizens or interfere with the educational system of the state.

����Religious bodies and religious affairs are not subject to any foreign domination.

����Article 37 Freedom of the person of citizens of the People's Republic of China is inviolable.

����No citizen may be arrested except with the approval or by decision of a people's procuratorate or by decision of a people's court, and arrests must be made by a public security organ.

����Unlawful detention or deprivation or restriction of citizens' freedom of the person by other means is prohibited, and unlawful search of the person of citizens is prohibited.

����Article 38 The personal dignity of citizens of the People's Republic of China is inviolable. Insult, libel, false accusation or false incrimination directed against citizens by any means is prohibited.

����Article 39 The residences of citizens of the People's Republic of China are inviolable. Unlawful search of, or intrusion into, a citizen's residence is prohibited.

����Article 40 Freedom and privacy of correspondence of citizens of the People's Republic of China are protected by law. No organization or individual may, on any ground, infringe upon citizens' freedom and privacy of correspondence, except in cases where, to meet the needs of state security or of criminal investigation, public security or procuratorial organs are permitted to censor correspondence in accordance with procedures prescribed by law.

����Article 41 Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the right to criticize and make suggestions regarding any state organ or functionary. Citizens have the right to make to relevant state organs complaints or charges against, or exposures of, any state organ or functionary for violation of the law or dereliction of duty; but fabrication or distortion of facts for purposes of libel or false incrimination is prohibited.

����The state organ concerned must deal with complaints, charges or exposures made by citizens in a responsible manner after ascertaining the facts. No one may suppress such complaints, charges and exposures or retaliate against the citizens making them.

����Citizens who have suffered losses as a result of infringement of their civic rights by any state organ or functionary have the right to compensation in accordance with the law.

����Article 42 Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the right as well as the duty to work.

����Through various channels, the state creates conditions for employment, enhances occupational safety and health, improves working conditions and, on the basis of expanded production, increases remuneration for work and welfare benefits.

����Work is a matter of honor for every citizen who is able to work. All working people in state-owned enterprises and in urban and rural economic collectives should approach their work as the masters of the country that they are. The state promotes socialist labor emulation, and commends and rewards model and advanced workers. The state encourages citizens to take part in voluntary labor.

����The state provides necessary vocational training for citizens before they are employed.

����Article 43 Working people in the People's Republic of China have the right to rest.

����The state expands facilities for the rest and recuperation of the working people and prescribes working hours and vacations for workers and staff.

����Article 44 The state applies the system of retirement for workers and staff of enterprises and institutions and for functionaries of organs of state according to law. The livelihood of retired personnel is ensured by the state and society.

����Article 45 Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the right to material assistance from the state and society when they are old, ill or disabled. The state develops social insurance, social relief and medical and health services that are required for citizens to enjoy this right.

����The state and society ensure the livelihood of disabled members of the armed forces, provide pensions to the families of martyrs and give preferential treatment to the families of military personnel.

����The state and society help make arrangements for the work, livelihood and education of the blind, deaf-mute and other handicapped citizens.

����Article 46 Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the duty as well as the right to receive education.

����The state promotes the all-round development of children and young people, morally, intellectually and physically.

����Article 47 Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the freedom to engage in scientific research, literary and artistic creation and other cultural pursuits. The state encourages and assists creative endeavors conducive to the interests of the people that are made by citizens engaged in education, science, technology, literature, art and other cultural work.

����Article 48 Women in the People's Republic of China enjoy equal rights with men in all spheres of life, in political, economic, cultural, social and family life.

����The state protects the rights and interests of women, applies the principle of equal pay for equal work to men and women alike and trains and selects cadres from among women.

����Article 49 Marriage, the family and mother and child are protected by the state.

����Both husband and wife have the duty to practice family planning.