Rules of use

Before the increase in armed patrols, many officers were killed or injured in the line of duty.

In July 2010, a gunman killed two traffic policemen on a highway in Guangdong Province. In January 2011, two police officers and an auxiliary policeman were shot dead during an investigation in Shandong Province.

The police have also come under public criticism in cases of accidental injury and improper use of firearms.

In May this year, the media reported at least three cases of missing police guns. The officers involved were sacked or punished, but public concerns remain.

On May 29, five people were injured after a police officer's gun fired accidentally during a security training session in a kindergarten in central China's Henan Province.

The bullet hit the ground, spraying shrapnel at the arms and legs of four parents and one child.

It was the latest in a string of controversies relating to police firearms.

On Oct. 28, 2013, a policeman shot a couple who ran a noodle restaurant in Pingnan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The woman and her unborn child died after being hit twice.

Professor Ruan Qilin, of the China University of Political Science and Law, said the misuse of police arms is rare. "We shouldn't tell police officers not to carry guns just because there are a few misuses and missing weapons," he said.

When to shoot

Current laws and regulations about police arms include the People's Police Law, Regulations on Police Weapons, and Regulations on Management and Use of Guns by Public Security Organs.

The Regulations on Police Weapons stipulate 15 situations when an officer can open fire. These include arson, explosions, hijackings and other serious crimes jeopardizing public safety.

Police may shoot if a suspect fails to surrender after police warnings. They may also shoot if there is no time for a warning or when issuing a warning could lead to more deadly consequences.

The Regulations on Police Weapons also list four situations when police should not fire: if a suspect is pregnant or a minor, unless they have committed a violent crime; if a suspect is in a crowded place or a place containing large quantities of flammables, explosives, poisonous or radioactive materials, unless there would be more deadly consequences; if a suspect has stopped the criminal activity; or if a suspect is incapable of committing further crimes.

Despite these rules, the current laws and regulations were written before today's security situation. Some regulations even contradict each other.

Ma Zhenchuan, a deputy to the National People's Congress, China's national legislature, said those regulations could hamper a quick and correct police response to a crime.

Ma cites the Kunming terrorist attack of March 1, when attackers killed 29 people and injured 143 at a railway station in the southwestern city.

"In that case, the police officer who shot four criminals had no right to open fire until the command center authorized him. Our regulations should have given him clear guidance to decide on the spot," said Ma.