China has adopted a new regulation requiring Chinese customs officers to wear stripes indicating their rank on their uniforms, in an effort to increase efficiency in combating smuggling and in handling checkpoint procedures.
The Standing Committee of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, adopted the regulation requiring the display of rank in Beijing Friday.
Under the system, customs staff will be ranked according to five grades -- commissioner-general, commissioner, supervisor, superintendent and constable, as are China's policemen.
The system is expected to instill a sense of professionalism and pride in the customs officers. It will also be easier for the public to supervise the performance of the officers, said an official with the General Administration of Customs.
Customs officers are on the front line of the fight against smuggling and often find themselves in face-to-face confrontations with criminals, requiring a unified command structure, swift action, quick response and strict discipline, said the official.
The adoption of the new ranking system for front-line staff may help avoid confusion and delays during emergencies. The system is also designed to increase efficiency at checkpoints and to facilitate quick responses to complex emergencies.
Of the total of 43,368 Chinese customs officers, 79 percent are expected to be covered by the new system.
The regulation was the 113th law adopted by the Ninth NPC and its Standing Committee, which will soon complete its five-year term.
(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2003)
