Aug 1 is the foundation day of the People's Liberation Army, as well as the day when the new Regulation on Rewarding and Commendation of the Army comes into effect. As the PLA's first special code on rewards and commendations, the regulation has become the topic of discussion both at home and abroad.

The implementation of the regulation shows the PLA leadership is paying special attention to rewards and citations for military personnel. Honor, which includes awards and citations, is something all military personnel cherish and should strive to achieve, while an effective system is needed to ensure that deserving people get it.

It is especially important to cultivate military personnel's sense of honor and dedication at a time when China is facing a complicated security situation, with its maritime rights being violated by certain countries.

It is common practice among armed forces across the world, especially in developed countries, to regulate the reward the commendation mechanism through written documents. The United States, for example, has codes of conduct for the military's rank and file, as well as detailed honor codes for military academies.

The Chinese army, too, over its 87-year history, has established an award and citation system, and bestowed innumerable medals on military heroes. In the last few years, however, some corrupt military officers have manipulated the rules, forcing many military personnel to lose trust in the citation and reward system. This has to be corrected, lest it becomes disastrous for the military.

This is exactly what the new regulation is aimed at doing: it will correct the wrongdoings and plug the loopholes that some corrupt officers have used to bend the rules.

One striking feature of the new regulation is that it guarantees more awards and citations for lower-ranking military units, and fewer for high-ranking officers. In other words, the chances of an ordinary soldier getting a reward or winning a citation for his efforts will now be higher.