Legal basis: Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC).
Article 39 A defense lawyer may meet and correspond with a criminal suspect or defendant in custody. Other defenders, with the permission of the people's courts and people's procuratorates, may also meet and correspond with criminal suspects and defendants in custody. If a defense lawyer holds a lawyer's practice certificate, a law firm's certificate, a power of attorney or a letter of legal aid to ask for a meeting with the criminal suspect or defendant in custody, the detention center shall arrange the meeting in time, which shall not exceed 48 hours at the latest. In criminal cases endangering national security and terrorist activities, defense lawyers should obtain permission from the investigation organ when meeting with the criminal suspect in custody during the investigation. The investigation organ shall notify the detention center of the above situation in advance.
Article 34 A criminal suspect has the right to entrust a defender from the day when he is interrogated for the first time by the investigation organ or compulsory measures are taken. During the investigation, he can only entrust a lawyer as a defender. The defendant has the right to entrust a defender at any time.