This document examines the major legal changes introduced in China last year and other aspects of Chinese legislation which are particularly relevant to human rights protection and practice.These provisions of Chinese legislation still fall far short of international standards which require that detainees be given prompt and regular access to lawyers, that they be immediately informed of their right to be assisted by a lawyer upon arrest or detention or when charged, and that lawyers can “defend them in all stages of criminal proceedings”, as laid down in the Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.