The China Consumer's Association warned Chinese households regarding vulnerable door locks and suggested that the locks should be upgraded.
According to the association's report on Monday, majority of the door locks being used by Chinese households cannot prevent burglars from breaking in.
"Despite some locks using techniques to prevent picking, it would only take seconds or less than a minute to unlock them without using the keys," said the association in the report.
There are two categories of locks: category A include locks with normal security and category B are locks with high security. The Ministry of Public Security's published national standards on mechanical locks in 1994 illustrates these distinctions.
Under an investigation by the association, it was discovered that more than half of Chinese households use locks under category A. It recommended that households upgrade to category B locks, as it would take longer to unlock without a key. According to the association, it would take over five minutes for a locksmith to unlock a category B lock.
The association also said that the longer it requires to pick locks, the higher the chance that it will deter burglars from breaking in.
Goldenkey Lock Co. Limited president Wang Zhenya said that most Chinese residents are not informed about the locks' vulnerability and would only realize it when they become victims of a break in.
"It is worrying to me that most residents are still using the locks while not realizing that they could be the victims of house break-ins at any time," said Wang.
Wang noted that the vulnerable locks are a common target for burglars and that thieves find households with the easy locks.
China's standard for mechanical locks should be revised to protect households from burglars, Wang added.
The association said that the average cost for a category B lock is around 200 to 300 yuan.