After viewing material on foreign websites, close the page — do not screenshot, forward, move it into groups, or chime in in the comments

These statutes punish spreading outward, not looking. Forwarding, moving into a group, or chiming in in the comments all count as dissemination when a case is built. If it reaches inciting subversion or secession, the sentence is up to 5 years; ringleaders get 5 years or more. Books and audiovisual material on terrorism or extremism are the exception: knowingly keeping them, when circumstances are serious, brings up to 3 years.

Cost

No money. Closing the page ends it. Do not archive, forward, or move it onto domestic platforms. Do not use an account tied to your identity to post political content on foreign platforms over a long period. Do not take manuscript fees or funding from foreign institutions, organizations, or individuals. The hard part is not screenshotting or sharing when something jumps out at you.

Benefit

Using rumor, defamation, or other means to incite others to subvert state power or overthrow the socialist system brings up to 5 years. Ringleaders (the statute’s term) or those whose crimes are major get 5 years or more; fixed-term imprisonment tops out at 15 years. Inciting secession or undermining national unity carries the same terms. Doing either in collusion with foreign institutions, organizations, or individuals is punished more heavily. Institutions, organizations, or individuals at home or abroad who fund others to do so: those directly responsible get up to 5 years; when circumstances are serious, 5 years or more. Stealing, spying out, buying, or illegally providing state secrets or intelligence for foreign institutions, organizations, or persons brings 5 to 10 years. Within that item, especially serious circumstances bring 10 years or more or life imprisonment; lighter circumstances bring up to 5 years. Crimes endangering national security always add deprivation of political rights for 1 to 5 years, during which voting rights and eligibility for public office are cancelled. Confiscation of property may also be imposed, taking personal property for the state. Administrative rules also apply. No individual or organization may use the network to engage in activities that endanger national security, honor, or interests. Nor may they incite subversion of state power or overthrow of the socialist system. Nor may they incite secession or undermine national unity. Publishing or transmitting such information is punished under the relevant laws and administrative regulations (nationwide). Another class does not need dissemination to be complete. Knowingly and illegally holding material that promotes terrorism or extremism, when circumstances are serious, is enough for a conviction. That material includes books, audio-video materials, or other items. The term is up to 3 years of fixed-term imprisonment, criminal detention (short custody), or public surveillance (not locked up but movement restricted). A fine is imposed together with or instead of imprisonment — sentenced and fined, or only fined. The basis is Criminal Law Article 120-6, added by Amendment IX.

Notes

The laws cited here punish inciting others, spreading outward, and providing to others; mere viewing is not among them. Material on terrorism or extremism is the statute’s stated exception: merely keeping it can convict (Article 120-6). So that class must never be archived. Once you have seen it, stop there: no screenshot archive, no forward, no comment, no pulling others to forward. Forwarding and chiming in in comments both count as dissemination when a case is built; “I only forwarded it” does not excuse you. Doing it in collusion with foreign institutions, organizations, or individuals is punished more heavily. When you are unsure whether something is true, still more reason not to join the forward — see item 1 in this section (do not forward unverified messages). How tools for bypassing the firewall are punished is in Section 11, item 11. Spreading this kind of content brings no real benefit and costs prison time, deprivation of political rights, and confiscation of property. This book has not obtained judgment documents checkable through official channels, so it follows the statutes only and attaches no cases.

Sources · 3

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2. 全国人大常委会 (2025). 网络安全法（2025 年修正，2026 年 1 月 1 日施行，第十三条第二款、第七十一条第一项）. cac.gov.cn/2025-12/29/c_1768735112911946.htm
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