Prof. Gong Xianghe, Executive Director of the China Society for Human Rights Studies (CSHRS) and Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights Studies of Southeast University (ISHRS), spoke at the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on the 13th of March, introducing China's efforts to safeguard the right to privacy.

In an interactive dialog with the Special Rapporteur on the right to privacy, Prof. Gong said that privacy is a basic human right and the key to safeguarding human dignity. China has made remarkable progress in the protection of the right to privacy.

Prof. Gong Xianghe explained that China's enactment and implementation of the Personal Information Protection Law in 2021 became an important milestone by providing a complete legal framework for the comprehensive protection of personal information and safeguarding the right to personal privacy. The enactment and implementation of the Cybersecurity Law in 2017 safeguarded the right to privacy through stringent provisions on the protection of personal data. The Civil Code in 2021 dedicates a special chapter to the right to privacy, and involves eight articles regulating the right to privacy. China's Criminal Law provides for inviolability of citizens' privacy.

Prof. Gong Xianghe said that although the right to privacy is a newly developed legal concept in China, China has enacted a series of laws to date. As China aligns itself with global data protection standards, these pieces of legislation effectively respond to the domestic need for privacy protection and have some international impact.