China's top legislative body has passed a new anti-foreign sanctions law. The new legislation, passed at the National People's Congress Standing Committee's latest session, is immediately effective. Lawmakers and legal scholars say the new legislation grants Beijing legal measures to impose counter-sanctions on foreign governments and entities. CGTN's Sun Ye has the details.

It's the first law of its kind in China and it works to safeguard the country's sovereignty, dignity and core interests, according to the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee.

And it has come at a delicate time.

LI QINGMING Institute of International Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences "The law has come at a time when a few Western countries have tried to spread rumors and smear, contain and suppress China. They've imposed so-called sanctions on relevant Chinese state organs, organizations and functionaries in a gross violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations, and they've seriously impaired our sovereignty, dignity and core interests. While we've put forward counter-measures before, we don't have a systematic law to address the issue."

Li says the new legislation is consistent with international law and the practices.

He also says the law is a more powerful response that would allow counter-measures by institutions other than the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

And the law's coming into being also means better protection for legitimate rights.

LI QINGMING Institute of International Law, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences "It should also be clear that the piece of legislation shows China would not impose countermeasures unreasonably. The law stipulates that only necessary and reasonable measures would be taken, and only onto targeted entities and persons. For other parties that have ties with China, China will keep on protecting the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors and foreigners, and building a market-oriented, internationalized business environment based on the rule of law."

SUN YE Beijing "NPC deputies, political advisers and a number of other people had strongly called for a law opposing foreign sanctions in this year's Two Sessions. And the draft law was submitted to the top legislature for a first review in April."