China Bans Unauthorized Sales of Scrapped Military Gear and Replicas

Six Chinese military and civilian authorities—including three Central Military Commission bodies, the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense—have issued a joint directive banning unauthorized sales, modifications, and commercial marketing of decommissioned and scrapped military equipment. The policy targets online and offline vendors trading sensitive military surplus or assemble replicas, establishing strict limits and designating official catalogs published by China Rongtong Asset Management Group as the primary legal channel for dual-use scrap.

The joint directive marks a coordinated military-civilian effort to plug potential security leaks and prevent commercial exploitation of defense hardware. By regulating the secondary market for military scrap and replica items, Chinese authorities aim to eliminate safety hazards, protect military confidentiality, and maintain the public image of the armed forces.

On July 23, 2026, six key Chinese military and civilian government agencies jointly published a circular strictly prohibiting the unauthorized sale, assembly, and commercial marketing of decommissioned and scrapped military equipment. The notice was jointly issued by the Logistics Support Department, Equipment Development Department, and Political and Legal Affairs Commission of the Central Military Commission, alongside the Ministry of Public Security, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense. The regulatory action comes in response to recent commercial activities across online and offline channels where merchants publicly sold items involving sensitive military information. According to the issuing agencies, such practices have generated adverse social impacts, created public safety hazards, and threatened national military secrets as well as the overall public image of the armed forces. The directive broadly defines military decommissioned and scrapped equipment as any equipment, ammunition, devices, parts, and materials that have been officially retired from active service by military approval and slated for scrap disposal. Under the provisions of the circular, no unit or individual may engage in the sale of such military assets. Exceptions are strictly limited to items included in official public sales catalogs for dual-use scrapped parts published by China Rongtong Asset Management Group Co., Ltd., or other items specifically authorized by military authorities. Beyond direct sales prohibitions, the notice targets the manufacturing and marketing of imitations. It strictly forbids any entity or individual from producing, altering, or using scrapped components to assemble items that could reasonably lead the public to view them as military equipment. Furthermore, all forms of commercial advertising, marketing, and promotional activities centered on decommissioned military gear or realistic military imitations are strictly banned. Market supervision and public security authorities are tasked with closely monitoring sales channels to ensure full compliance.