Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law
Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law is a law of the People's Republic of China. Developed in response to increasing international sanctions targeting PRC officials and entities and passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on June 10, 2021, on an accelerated basis without public consultation, it establishes a comprehensive legal framework enabling the Chinese government to implement countermeasures against foreign sanctions.
Background
AFSL emerged during a period of heightened tensions between China and Western nations, particularly following sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, and Canada over concerns regarding human rights violations in Xinjiang and Hong Kong. Its development followed Xi Jinping's November 2020 call for legal methods to defend PRC "national sovereignty, security, and development interests."AFSL is part of a broader framework of PRC measures designed to counter foreign restrictions, including the Unreliable Entity List mechanism, Ministry of Commerce blocking statutes, efforts to promote RMB settlement in international trade, and development of alternative international payment systems.
Scope
AFSL targets individuals and organizations involved in creating or implementing sanctions against PRC interests, participating in the drafting or decision-making process of such sanctions, or supporting with their implementation. It authorizes denial or cancellation of visas, asset freezes, restrictions on business activities in China, prohibition of transactions with Chinese entities, or other unspecified countermeasures deemed appropriate by authorities.In March 2025, following tariffs imposed by Trump, Li Qiang signed an order implementing new rules to strengthen countermeasures under AFSL.