BEIJING — China needs to formulate a series of laws to build a national security legal system, a spokesperson for the annual session of China’s top legislative body said on March 4.

Against a backdrop of globalization, China faces complex national security issues as many other countries do, Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the third session of the 12th National People’s Congress, told a press conference.

At the core of the series of laws is the national security law, the new draft of which has been put for the first reading, Fu said, adding that the legislature is also deliberating other laws concerning national security.

Fu said the bill to regulate overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in China has also been tabled for its first reading.

Some 6,000 overseas NGOs are operating in China, Fu said, citing data available on the Internet. They brought technology, capital and experience to China and made contribution to the country’s development in past decades, she said.

By means of legislation, these NGOs will have laws to abide by in conducting activities and will play a better role with legitimate interests protected, she said. On the other hand, effective regulation is needed for safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability, she added.

National security has been high on Chinese top leadership’s agenda. At a January meeting, the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee warned China is facing unprecedented security risks and should remain on alert.

A national security strategy guideline was adopted at the meeting.

In December last year, a new draft of the national security law was put before China’s top legislature. It will replace a previous law, which took effect in 1993, and has been renamed the Counterespionage Law in line with its content.