The following article from Reuters, as reported in Australian newspapers today. Presumably the reference to Sunday means it will be effective from Sunday (today) however it remains to be seen when and where it will be enforced.

"Beijing: China's parliament has abolished an extra-judicial system of forced labour used to punish sex workers and their clients for up to two years, but it stressed that prostitution remains illegal.

China banned prostitution after the Communist revolution in 1949, but it returned with a vengeance after landmark economic reforms began in the late 1970s, despite periodic crackdowns.

The official Xinhua news agency said China's largely rubber-stamp legislature had voted on Saturday to scrap the "custody and education" system. It said the decision would be effective from Sunday, when all those currently held in detention under the system would be released.

State media said the instruction to do away with the system had come from the cabinet and parliament had recommended a review last year, noting that the programme was increasingly not being applied in practice.

It had come in for criticism not only for its extra-judicial nature, as China seeks to promote a more law-based society, but also because of abuses such as the supposed rehabilitation facilities being run as profit-making ventures.

Xinhua said that when the system was instigated two decades ago it had "played an important role in educating and rescuing those involved in prostitution and visiting prostitutes".

But as the country continues to deepen legal reforms and the criminal system, the "custody and education" programme was less and less appropriate, it added.

"The custody and education system's historical role had already been completed. This is an important manifestation of strengthening social management using rule of law thinking and methods," the news agency said.

Prostitution remains illegal, however, with punishments of up to 15 days in detention and fines of up to 5000 yuan ($1020), Xinhua said.

In 2013, China scrapped another controversial forced labour statute - the re-education through labour system.

That decision followed several high-profile miscarriages of justice, including a case where a woman was sent to a labour camp after demanding justice for her daughter who had been raped.

The re-education through labour system, which began in 1957, had empowered police to sentence petty criminals to up to four years in detention without going through the courts.

Reuters"

This does not appear to refer to pimps and others engaged in organising prostitution for which punishments can be severe.

[ Last edited by  teltel at 29-12-2019 08:51 ]

Similar reports are now appearing in mainland news media so the change is confirmed.

It does not mean open slather and punters should still exercise the usual cautions and be aware of scams as per usual.

Also, being aware of how long changes in the law in China can take to implement and the problem of local interpretations still exist.

The big problems still remain, how would you explain being absent and incommunicado for a couple of weeks (would you really want your embassy, employer or SO to be notified ?) and the possibility of your visa or residency certificate being withdrawn, even harder to explain.

Teltel