【正文】 ernments at different levels shall strengthen leadership over the work of protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters and mobilize the relevant departments to take measures for successful protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters. Article 7 Under the leadership of the State Council, the petent administrative departments under the State Council that are responsible respectively for seismic work, prehensive management of the economy, construction, civil affairs and the other relevant departments shall join efforts and closely cooperate with each other, while acting in accordance with the division of their functions and duties, to make a success of the work for protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters. The administrative departments or institutions for seismic work and the other departments concerned under the local people39。s lives and property and the smooth progress of the socialist drive. Article 2 This Law shall be applicable to earthquake monitoring and prediction, protection against earthquake disasters, measures for earthquake emergencies, postearthquake relief and reconstruction, etc. which are carried out within the territory of the People39。s Congress on December 29, 1997, promulgated by Order No. 94 of the President of the People39。 Law of the People39。s Republic of China on Protecting Against and Mitigating Earthquake Disasters (Adopted at the 29th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People39。s Republic of China on December 29, 1997) Contents Chapter I General Provisions Chapter II Earthquake Monitoring and Prediction Chapter III Protection Against Earthquake Disasters Chapter IV Measures for Earthquake Emergencies Chapter V Postearthquake Relief and Reconstruction Chapter VI Legal Liability Chapter VII Supplementary Provisions Chapter I General Provisions Article 1 This Law is enacted in order to protect against and mitigate earthquake disasters, ensure the safety of the people39。s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters for short). Article 3 In the effort to protect against and mitigate earthquake disasters the principle of bining protective measures with rescue efforts while putting stress on the former shall be applied. Article 4 Protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters shall be incorporated into plans for national economic and social development. Article 5 The State encourages and supports scientific and technological research in protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters and spreads the use of advanced research results in order to improve the work of protection against and mitigation of earthquake disasters. Article 6 People39。s governments at or above the county level shall, under the leadership of the said people39。s Liberation Army, the Chinese People39。s Militia shall carry out the tasks of protecting against and mitigating earthquake disasters assigned to them by the State. Chapter II Earthquake Monitoring and Prediction Article 9 The State strengthens the work of earthquake monitoring and prediction, encourages and gives aid to scientific and technological research in earthquake monitoring and prediction in order to promote such monitoring and prediction gradually. Article 10 The petent administrative department for seismic work under the State Council shall be responsible for formulating national plans of earthquake monitoring and prediction and making arrangements for their implementation. The administrative departments for seismic work under the people39。s governments at or above the county level located in the key areas for earthquake surveillance and protection shall improve their work in earthquake monitoring, work out plans for shortterm and imminent earthquake prediction, establish the system for the tracking of and consultation about earthquake situations and enhance their capability of earthquake monitoring and prediction. Article 12 The petent administrative department for seismic work under the State Council and the administrative departments or institutions for seismic work under the local people39。s government at or above the county level. Article 14 The State protects the facilities for earthquake monitoring and the environment for seismicity observation in accordance with law. No unit or individual may jeopardize such facilities or environment. The area of the environment for seismicity observation shall be delimited for protection in conformity with the requirement that there be no disturbance sources in the neighborhood that affect the operating efficiency of the earthquake monitoring facilities. The facilities for earthquake monitoring mentioned in this Law refers to the monitoring facilities, equipment, instruments used at the earthquake monitoring stations and other such facilities, equipment and instruments provided in accordance with the regulations of the petent administrative department for seismic work under the State Council. Article 15 In building, expanding or rebuilding a project, attention shall be paid to avoiding jeopardizing the facilities for earthquake monitoring and the environment for seiemicity observation. Where it is truly impossible to avoid it, the unit c