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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

China’s military gets new rules to improve safety after series of fatal accidents

  • Two new regulations will take effect from January 1 – on safety management and record-keeping
  • The PLA has seen a number of crashes amid push to become a world-class modern fighting force

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President Xi Jinping wants the Chinese military to become a world-class modern fighting force by 2035. Photo: AP
Kristin Huang

China’s military has introduced two new regulations to improve safety that will take effect from January 1, following a series of fatal accidents as it tries to modernise.

Details of the safety management and military documents regulations – signed off by President Xi Jinping – were not released.

But official news agency Xinhua said the safety management rules focused on risk assessments, safety checks and supervision of training activities, as well as how to handle and investigate accidents.

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It said the military documents regulations clarified responsibilities for archival work at all levels in the People’s Liberation Army and sought to standardise that work during wartime.

China’s military has been spending big on defence, with its budget rising to 1.18 trillion yuan (US$168.59 billion) in 2019 – up 7.5 per cent from last year. But critics say its safety record also needs attention.

The PLA has seen a number of fatal accidents amid a push to boost combat readiness driven by Xi, who wants the country’s military to become a world-class modern fighting force by 2035.

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