A leading anti-doping campaigner is urging the Chinese government to legislate for criminal sanctions for drug cheats in sports.
Jiang Zhixue, the head of anti-doping at the Chinese State General Administration of Sport, said existing regulations were not severe enough as a deterrent for people who either provide athletes with or encourage the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances.
``We are confined to punish them technically, giving them bans or fines but nothing more,'' Jiang told the official Xinhua News Agency.
The government endorses sports sanctions and fines for doping cheats, but anti-doping campaigners are asking for a sharper focus on criminal penalties.
``The criminal law doesn't have specific terms regarding this area,'' he said.
Former Winter Olympic speedskating champion Yang Yang, now a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency's athletes' commission, suggested amendments to the law in the recent session of the National People's Congress.
China's history of high-profile doping cases dates back to the 1990s.
As recently as the last National Games, three female athletes, including China's 100-meters champion Wang Jing, were banned after failing doping tests.
China's national teams have taken a zero-tolerance stance on doping, but provincial teams are considered more susceptible because coaches are eager for the cash and promotions that come with strong performances by their athletes.
