Visitors try China’s new QBZ-191 series rifles at the exhibition hall of the China South Industries Group Corporation on Thursday. The weapons made their debut at the 13th Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province. Photo: Yang Sheng/GT

The Chinese army's new-generation service rifle, the QBZ191 5.8mm automatic rifle, and two new rifles in the 191 series, debuted at Airshow China 2021.

The new weapons are designed and manufactured by the China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC). The designer of the weapons said on Thursday that these rifles have already received a great deal of positive feedback from the PLA soldiers and officers who have been armed with these new weapons. 

The rifles were first revealed to the general public in 2019 during the military parade held in Beijing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. However, the airshow, officially opened on Tuesday, marks the first time that the public has had close contacts with these advanced weapons used by the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Visitors try QJB201 5.8mm and QJY201 7.62mm machine guns at the exhibition hall of the China Sorth Industries Group Corporation on Thursday. The weapons made their debut at the 13th Airshow China in Zhuhai, South China’s Guangdong Province. Photo: Yang Sheng/GT

CSGC also displayed a shorter and lighter variant of the QBZ191 carbine, the QBZ192, and a designated marksman rifle or high-precision rifle of the 191 series, the QBU 191, as well as two new machine guns, the QJB201 5.8mm and QJY201 7.62mm, at the company's exhibition hall in the Zhuhai show. These guns have attracted thousands of professional guests, journalists and military enthusiasts to the exhibition stand every day since the airshow opened to the media on Sunday. 

A designer of the QBZ-191 series who asked not to be named told the Global Times at the CSGC exhibition hall on Thursday that the QBZ191 series was going to fully replace the QBZ95 series still used by many troops of the PLA and the Chinese Armed Police Force, and that some troops who have used the new series have given positive feedback as they are very satisfied with the accuracy of the new rifles.

"Compared to the QBZ-95, the QBZ-191 uses a conventional configuration with greatly improved ergonomics, ambidextrous usability, and better reliability across different environments. Now the 191 series rifles have been used by the PLA in all kinds of environments within the country's territory and have performed very well. Very soon the PLA and the armed police force will be fully armed with these new rifles," he said.