Huang posits that the parade is a warning to Washington not to interfere with regional disputes. (Photo : Reuters)
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Headquarters has announced plans to revise the rules governing the use of cellphones by service members, the China Daily reported.
According to the PLA statement, it intends to loosen control on the use of cellphone by members, a rule which has drawn attention and resulted in management issues.
The report said that the growing demand for information by service members, brought about by the evolution in information technology, has driven the PLA to make some changes in the current rules to meet the needs of their members.
The statement said that the PLA also intends to revise the rules on Internet use and make adjustments in the uniform code for its civilian personnel, but did not elaborate on the details of adjustment.
The China Daily reported that the revisions are part of the PLA's continuing efforts to make updates on the three rules that govern the conduct and discipline of its members.
The updated regulations will take effect next year, the report added.
The PLA statement said that the PLA Academy of Military Science, which is tasked to make the revisions, will conduct research to solicit suggestions from soldiers from various PLA units to find out which parts need revisions and are no longer consistent with the needs of service members.
"According to the current regulations, officers and soldiers in my unit are banned from using cellphones from Monday to Saturday, whether they want to make a call, send a text message or take a picture," an officer of the Beijing Military Command was quoted in the report.
"Only unit commanders and a handful of officers are allowed to use cellphones on weekdays, but they can't use smartphones that can log on to the Internet and take pictures," the officer was quoted as saying.
"Considering that this is the information age, such stipulations should be changed. The military can develop and produce its own cellphones that are secure and have access to our internal website."
