The tobacco regulator in China has drafted rules that will see e-cigarettes move under the oversight of the state and require companies selling the products to meet national standards, reports Reuters.

The Chinese cabinet had already amended its tobacco monopoly law to include e-cigarettes and now the latest drafts will move the products from a regulatory grey area to being overseen by the state.
The draft rules state that all firms that wish to sell e-cigarettes legally in China have to meet national standards and register with the tobacco authority. Companies producing e-cigarette products must acquire a special licence from the tobacco authority, which they can do only if they have the necessary funds and a facility with equipment that meets standards.
According to Reuters, the tobacco authority said that it will establish a "unified national electronic cigarette transaction management platform" that all licensed e-cigarette wholesalers and retailers must sell products through."
The tax collection and payment of e-cigarettes will be “implemented in accordance with national taxation laws and regulations," according to the regulator.