China is putting an end to unsafe power banks

The Chinese government has proposed significantly raising standards for the safety of power banks, potentially banning the devices from use in aircraft cabins.

Passengers may no longer be allowed to bring spare batteries on planes. Illustration photo: Shutterstock.

According to SCMP , new regulations proposed in China to tighten the specifications for portable power banks are causing concern for both manufacturers and consumers. The main reason is that these rules could mean that passengers will no longer be allowed to bring power banks on planes.

Specifically, according to a draft document from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which is seeking comments until December 11, all portable power banks will have to clearly disclose the battery type, production date, and provide recommendations on safe usage time.

The focus of the new regulations is to significantly raise safety standards in extreme situations, a move that comes after a series of incidents earlier this year.

The new regulation states that power banks must be “non-flammable, non-combustible, non-crackable and non-leaking” even in cases such as short circuits and overuse. In addition, the draft also stipulates that rechargeable batteries must comply with “non-flammable” and “non-combustible” standards under extreme conditions such as high pressure or temperature.

SCMP said the new measures will put great pressure on the entire industry, which has mass-produced power banks based on existing safety standards such as the “China Compulsory Certification (3C)” set of standards.

If passed, the new regulations are expected to come into effect in mid-2026. Manufacturers will have a grace period of 6-12 months to ensure a smooth transition.

Recently, many international airlines have recorded incidents of fire and smoke in passenger cabins related to lithium batteries, forcing flights to make emergency landings.

Facing the trend of tightening management in the world , many major airlines such as China Airlines, Korean Air, Hong Kong Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates... have also applied a ban on passengers using lithium backup batteries in the aircraft cabin this year.

Source: https://znews.vn/trung-quoc-sap-dat-dau-cham-het-cho-pin-du-phong-thieu-an-toan-post1607578.html