CIRCULAR JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCILAND THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION FOR TRANSMITTINGTHE REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE STATE PHYSICAL CULTURE ANDSPORTS COMMISSION AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING THE STRENGTHENING OFADMINISTRATION OF MOUNTAINS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
CIRCULAR JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCILAND THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION FOR TRANSMITTINGTHE REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE STATE PHYSICAL CULTURE ANDSPORTS COMMISSION AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING THE STRENGTHENING OFADMINISTRATION OF MOUNTAINS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
Important Notice:
This English document is coming from the "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
Whole Document
CIRCULAR JOINTLY ISSUED BY THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL
AND THE GENERAL OFFICE OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION FOR TRANSMITTING
THE REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS SUBMITTED BY THE STATE PHYSICAL CULTURE AND
SPORTS COMMISSION AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING THE STRENGTHENING OF
ADMINISTRATION OF MOUNTAINS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
(September 19, 1987)
The Request for Instructions Concerning the Strengthening of
Administration of Mountains Open to the Outside World, which is submitted
by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission, the Headquarters of
the General Staff of PLA, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National
Tourism Administration and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been
approved by the State Council and the Central Military Commission and is
hereby transmitted to you for implementation.
REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE STRENGTHENING OF ADMINISTRATION OF
MOUNTAINS OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD
Since 1979, China has, upon approval by the State Council, gradually
opened some mountains to the outside world and has received nearly 400
groups and teams of foreigners who have been to China for mountaineering
or tourist activities. The opening of some mountains has put an end to the
state of estrangement in China's mountaineering, strengthened the contact
between the Chinese and the international mountaineering circles,
intensified the exchange of mountaineering techniques, and promoted the
development of China's mountaineering undertakings and tourist industry.
However, in the work of various localities to receive foreign
mountaineering groups and teams coming to China, there exists in varying
degrees the tendency of treating the administration of open mountains as a
purely commercial operation, which has resulted in confusions in such
aspects as management system, liaison with foreign countries, opening of
more mountains and service standards. All these problems call for
immediate solution.
The opening and administration of China's mountains, especially of those
high mountains situated in the border regions, involve the various aspects
of political, military and diplomatic affairs and require strengthened,
centralized leadership. The various localities, therefore, in addition to
continuing to implement the relevant provisions of the Request for
Instructions Concerning the Opening of Mountains for International
Mountaineering Activities, which has submitted by the State Physical
Culture and Sports Commission and the National Tourism Administration on
September 20, 1979 and which has been approved by the State Council, shall
comply with the following provisions:
1. The opening of any more mountain to the outside world shall be
considered along with the opening of the city or county where the mountain
is located, and shall, with the consent of the people's government of the
province or autonomous region and the Military Region concerned, be
reported to the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission which shall
announce it to the outside world after examination and approval after
consultation with the Headquarters of the General Staff of PLA, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Tourism Administration. In
the absence of the approval by the aforesaid competent central
authorities, no locality may make unauthorized announcement of the opening
of any more mountain.
2. From now on, with respect to foreign groups and teams coming to China
for such activities as mountaineering, exploration or rock climbing which
fall within the scope of physical culture and sports, the acceptance of
their applications, the arrangement of their plans and itineraries, the
signing of agreements, the issuing of letters or telegrams of invitation
and the issuing of letters or telegrams on matters of visas shall all be
submitted for unified handling to the State Physical Culture and Sports
Commission (under the name of the Chinese Mountaineering Association). For
tourist activities in the mountains, however, the National Tourism
Administration shall be responsible for unified arrangements.
3. The standards of tourist service charges for cities where the open
mountains are located shall be determined by the State Physical Culture
and Sports Commission in accordance with the pertinent State policies and
in consultation with the National Tourism Administration, the State
Administration of Commodity Prices and other departments concerned and
shall be implemented in a unified way. Without permission, no localities
may undertake unauthorized pricing or make unauthorized price
readjustments. The revenue derived from the open mountains shall mainly
be used for the development of China's mountaineering undertakings.
Guarantees shall be made in respect of the management system to avoid
turning the opening of mountains into utterly commercialized operations.
4. If foreign groups and teams coming to China for mountaineering,
exploration, rock climbing or competition (including those coming to China
for tourist purposes in the mountains) are also entrusted with tasks of
scientific survey, the host units shall, while applying for the
mountaineering permit, simultaneously submit the subject(s) of the survey
and the limits of areas in which to conduct the survey to the State
Physical Culture and Sports Commission for examination and approval in
consultation with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Headquarters of
the General Staff of PLA. The Chinese Academy of Sciences may, depending
on the circumstances, directly send their own personnel or entrust a
proper department to send personnel to the mountain areas to exercise
supervision over the foreign groups or teams. It is imperative to
implement strictly the various provisions of the Request for Instructions
Concerning the Opening of Mountains for International Mountaineering
Activities submitted by the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission
and the National Tourism Association on September 20, 1979 and of its
annexes (1).
The State Physical Culture and Sports Commission shall, in accordance with
the afore-stated principles, conduct a general examination of
administration of the mountains already open to the outside world in
conjunction with the Headquarters of the General Staff of PLA, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Tourism Administration and the
Chinese Academy of Sciences. Cases involving mountains that have been
opened to the outside world without permission shall be dealt with in
accordance with their respective circumstances.
If nothing is inappropriate, it is requested that the above be approved
and transmitted to the various localities for implementation.
Note:
The relevant annexes of the Request for Instructions Concerning the
Opening of Mountains for International Mountaineering Activities submitted
to the State Physical Culture and Sports Commission and the National
Tourism Administration on September 20, 1979, i.e. the Provisions
Concerning Foreign Mountaineering Groups Coming to China for
Mountaineering (for Trial Implementation) and the Measures for Charging
Fees from Foreign Mountaineering Groups Coming to China for Mountaineering
(for Trial Implementation), have become invalid. In effect now are the
Provisions Concerning Foreign Mountaineering Groups or Mountaineering and
Tourist Groups Coming to China for Mountaineering promulgated by the State
Physical Culture and Sports Commission on January 14, 1981 and the
Measures for Charging Fees from Foreign Mountaineering Groups or
Mountaineering and Tourist Groups Coming to China for Mountaineering,
promulgated by the Chinese Mountaineering Association on January 1, 1987 -
The Editor.
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