Legal provisions: People's Republic of China (PRC) Criminal Procedure Law
Article 32 A criminal suspect or defendant may, in addition to exercising the right of defense, entrust one or two persons as defenders. The following persons may be entrusted as defenders:
(1) lawyers;
(2) A person recommended by a people's organization or the unit to which the criminal suspect or defendant belongs;
(3) Guardians, relatives and friends of criminal suspects and defendants.
A person who has been sentenced to punishment according to law or deprived of or restricted personal freedom shall not act as a defender.