April 14, 2015: The Chinese military leadership apparently decided that morale was more important than unenforceable security rules and is going to allow Chinese military personnel to carry and use their cell phones while on duty. Many Chinese troops already do this, often with the assent (but not official permission) of their superiors. Chinese commanders have apparently noted the experience of their counterparts in other nations and decided that the best way to deal with this problem is to let the troops have their cell phones.
One reason for this attitude is the impact of widespread cell phone use on the ability of the government to control the media. From the time the communists took control of China in the late 1940s until the Internet became widely available in China at the turn of the century, the government controlled the media. The Internet and cell phones changed all that. It is no secret that China is fighting a losing war with cell phones in general. In 2014, the Chinese military surprised everyone by admitting that in early September two J-15 jet fighter test pilots had died recently during landing and takeoff operations on China’s first aircraft carrier.
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