A group of well trained air police will soon appear in Chinese airplanes to boost security in the air, Friday's edition of China Police Daily reports.
The newspaper quoted sources with Air China, China's flagship carrier, saying that the current security forces would receive training from the Public Security Bureau of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) in the first half of next year. Those who qualified would serve as uniformed air police.
The CAAC proposal to create air police was approved by the State Council early this year as a major measure to step up anti-terrorism and anti-air trafficking in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The air police force will be co-managed by both the CAAC Public Security Bureau and individual airlines.
Sources with the CAAC say the current security staff on airplanes will have to pass strict selection, training and examinations to become qualified.
Some Chinese airlines have started preparing for the move. Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines has recruited some veterans to join its security force and expects them to start training soon.
(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2002)
