China has banned lighters and matches from carry-on luggage on aircraft, the latest move to better protect flight safety.

"Lighters and matches should not be carried on board civil aircraft," the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said on its website on Monday.

Previously, all baby food, cosmetics and medicine in quantities above 100 ml have been banned from carry-on luggage on domestic flights.

In a similar development, the Ministry of Public Security and the CAAC had issued a joint regulation to step up pre-flight data reporting for passengers and crews on international flights, effective on May 1.

The CAAC at the end of last month told flight passengers in China to remove their shoes for safety checks as part of a tighter security system ahead of the Olympics.

(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2008)