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Alcott Wei

Beijing has tightened its rules on the sale of military equipment to ban its sale through unauthorised channels.
“In recent years, some business operators have openly sold, online and offline, goods … such as decommissioned and scrapped military equipment, causing an adverse impact and creating security risks,” an administrative notice issued by multiple state bodies said.
The notice – made public on Tuesday and published internally last week – covers everything from uniforms to machinery, components and ammunition that have been formally withdrawn from service and designated for disposal.
There are already laws concerning the sale or transfer of equipment and weapons, with offenders facing up to 10 years in prison, but these are vaguely worded.
The new notice sets out specific examples of what is prohibited, citing concerns about security, military secrecy and the image of the People’s Liberation Army.
“Any form of commercial promotion for decommissioned equipment and imitations that could be mistaken by the public for military equipment is prohibited,” it said.
“Any organisation or individual is prohibited from producing, modifying or assembling equipment using dismantled parts from decommissioned or scrapped equipment, or selling imitations that could be mistaken by the public for military equipment.”
The notice said individuals and organisations needed official approval to sell surplus military kit and instructed the authorities to conduct routine inspections of related sales and marketing activities.
The notice was issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation on Tuesday, with co-signatories including the Central Military Commission’s general logistics and equipment development departments and the Ministry of Public Security.
It is not known what triggered the latest ban. On Monday, Beijing Ronghe Law Firm, which provides military-related services, published an analysis of three cases that could be covered under the notice.
They involved service personnel accused of stealing military uniforms to be sold online, which the firm said “created a risk of crimes involving people impersonating military personnel”.
The restrictions come as Beijing intensifies an anti-corruption campaign targeting the military that has resulted in repeated leadership changes within the PLA and defence companies.


In January, the defence ministry announced that Zhang Youxia, a CMC vice-chairman, and Liu Zhenli, head of the commission’s Joint Staff Department, were under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and the law – a standard euphemism for corruption.
The PLA has been reviewing its procurement system since the downfall of former defence minister Li Shangfu, who was given a suspended death sentence for corruption in May.
Li, who worked on equipment development for decades, was described as “seriously polluting the political environment and industry practices of the military equipment sector”.
In 2023, the PLA’s Equipment Development Department called on the public to report irregularities dating back to October 2017, one month after Li became the department’s head.
The PLA also maintains a blacklist of individuals and companies who are banned from taking part in the bidding process.


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Government notice covering everything from uniform to equipment bans sales and promotions without official authorisation


Government notice covering everything from uniform to equipment bans sales and promotions without official authorisation.


China cracks down on sales of decommissioned military equipment ‘to protect PLA’s image’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Government notice covering everything from uniform to equipment bans sales and promotions without official authorisation

Government notice covering everything from uniform to equipment bans sales and promotions without official authorisation