HARBIN - All Chinese police officers will have to sit for a qualification examination on abilities to carry out their duties this year, said vice minister of public security Yang Huanning on Sunday.

Last year, the ministry issued a circular on the qualification examination, ordering all police officers, about two million, take the basic qualification examination, according to Yang at a symposium on the standardization of police work, in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province.

Furthermore, he added, police officers are encouraged to pass examinations for intermediate and senior ranks to get promoted.

According to the official, the tenure for the qualification is five years, and it means that a police officer has to participate in such an exam once every five years, he added.

The move is expected to encourage Chinese police officers to study hard in an effort to master the laws and regulations, which can help them do a better job, Yang said.