China's civil aviation authority said on Monday that it will lift its ban on the use of portable electronic devices on aircraft, and airlines will make the decision themselves.

中国民航局日前表示，将解禁机上便携式电子设备使用的规定，交由航空公司自行决定。

Since 1999, China's aviation authority has banned the use of any portable electronic devices on the plane. It was thought the wireless¹ signals from those could affect flight safety.

自1999年以来，中国航空当局已经禁止在飞机上使用任何便携式电子设备。人们认为这些无线信号可能会影响飞行安全。

"But now, the government will give airlines the right to decide on their own," said Zhu Tao, deputy director of the Department of Flight Standard of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

中国民航局飞行标准司副司长朱涛称：“但是现在，政府将给航空公司自行决定权。”

"I believe we will see various Chinese airline companies allowing passengers to use portable electronic devices on planes in the near future."

“我相信在不久的将来，我们会看到中国各航空公司允许乘客在飞机上使用便携式电子设备。”

The reason for the change is that the anti-interference characteristics of aircraft have been enhanced, said Li Yuan, an expert in civil aviation.

民航专家李渊称，这一变化的出现是因为飞机自身的抗干扰能力已有所提高。

Many foreign airlines have long allowed passengers to use certain electronic devices during a flight's cruise phase, including phones and laptops.

许多外国航空公司早已允许乘客在飞行巡航阶段使用包括手机和笔记本电脑在内的某些电子设备。

Some Chinese airlines also allow laptops during the cruise phase, though they prohibit cellphones.

尽管一些中国航空公司仍禁止使用手机，但他们也允许在巡航阶段使用笔记本电脑。

The CAAC also updated its physical requirements for selecting student pilots for civil aviation. Now, a student can qualify with a visual acuity² higher than 4.0 on an E Snellen chart, compared with 4.5 in the past.

此外，民航局还修正了选择学生飞行员的身体条件要求。现在，学生在E视力表中测得的视力高于4.0就能达标，而过去的达标要求是4.5。

"This change was designed to recruit more talent that meets both the physical and knowledge demands pilots. It will have a positive and far-reaching effect on the development of the civil aviation industry," Zhu said.

朱涛表示：“做出这一调整的目的是为了招募更多身体素质和知识储备都达标的飞行员人才，这将对民航业的发展产生积极而深远的影响。”