New anti-doping rules unveiled in China

Chinese sports authorities unveiled new anti-doping regulations in sports in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code that goes into effect on January 1, 2015.

Coming along with the Anti-Doping Administrative Regulations on Wednesday was the Anti-Doping General Principles, which is also effective on January 1 next year.

The anti-doping head in China's sports administrative department said the Principles were basically a Chinese version of the World Anti-Doping Code while the Regulations served as general guidelines and sought out executive measures.

"The Regulations can stay relatively stable while the Principles will closely follow the changing World Anti-Doping Code," said Jiang Zhixue on Thursday.

The Regulations, replacing a 17-year-old First Order published by the sports authorities, were both comprehensive and detailed, covering fields including anti-doping responsibilities, education, tests, result management, non-registered athletes management, nutritional supplements as well as punishments.

"We put in the measures to deal with problems that we expect in the future and encountered in the past," Jiang said.

According to Jiang, one of the major problems is how to control the executive level as well instead of punishing the rule-breaking athletes alone.

"It has been universally agreed that athletes are mostly influenced by coaches and doctors when it comes to doping," Jiang said. "The indulgence of the executive level also plays a part in it."

"Normally the athletes are the ones to be punished but we need to also crack down on those behind the scenes," he said.

The regulations ruled that civil servants, if found involved in doping, could receive warnings, get demerits or be fired.