Regulations on appointment and removal of PLA Officers in active service put into effect

　　The Regulations on the Appointment and Removal of the PLA Officers in Active Service was promulgated and put into effect on January 4, 2002.

　　China's participation in UN peacekeeping operations

　　China officially participated in first-grade standby arrangement system for UN peacekeeping operations in January 2002. It indicated that China took the first step towards the actual participation in the UN peacekeeping operations after it decided in principle to joint the standby arrangement system for UN peacekeeping operations in May 1997.

　　Additional Protocol of the NPT becomes effective

　　On March 28, 2002, China officially notified the International Atomic Energy Agency that China had completed all domestic legal procedures for the entry into force of the additional protocol of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The additional protocol came into effect in China on the same day.

　　China and Kyrgyzstan hold joint anti-terrorism exercise

　　China and Kyrgyzstan held a joint anti-terrorism military exercise on October 11, 2002. The two-day exercise was carried out in two stages. It is the first time for China to hold an anti-terrorism exercise together with a foreign country since the founding of the People's Republic of China. And it is also the first time for the PLA in its history to participate in an exercise out of the territory.

　　Regulations on export control of missiles issued

　　On August 22, 2002, the Chinese government promulgated the Regulations of the PRC on Export Control of Missiles & Related Items and Technologies and the Export Control List. It indicated that the Chinese government took another important measure in conformity with the non-proliferation policy.