The thirteen irregularities sounds to Imagethief like something you might to take a laxative for. But that just goes to show you what an ignorant clod I am, because it's really all about aviation, it turns out. Personally, Imagethief believes that Chinese commercial aviation is best experienced while intoxicated to the point of respiratory arrest. But that still puts it above domestic American aviation, which is best experienced dead from the inside of a pine box in the cargo hold, and is trying nonetheless. However, it appears that the "relevant authorities" (whoever that might be; CAAC one supposes) have decided that it's high time to get China's air passengers to sack up on the behavior front:
Not free to change seats any more

The Regulation on Civil Aviation Flight Standard Management was sent to related departments for approval. One of the clauses in the regulation stipulates that passengers who change seats without permission, or leave his/her seat or open his/her luggage when the plane is taking off, landing, sliding, or meeting air turbulence, shall be fined as high as 10,000 yuan.

While the regulation sets industrial standards for air crew members, it also regulates the behaviors of passengers. One of the clauses in the regulation says that if passengers change seats without listening to air crew members' suggestion and their behavior affects the balance of the plane or block the emergency exit, or if passengers sit near the emergency exit and refuse to change seats as required by air crew members, they shall be fined between 500-10,000 yuan. If their behavior violates related security administration acts, the public security body can impose administrative punishment on them. If the behavior violates certain laws, their criminal responsibility shall be ascertained.

Meanwhile, the regulation states that when passengers change seats or open their luggage during the take-off, landing, or sliding time, or when the plane meets air turbulence, they shall also be fined between 500-10,000 yuan.
And high friggin' time, might I add. I am not entirely sure what "sliding time" is, but I have been on many flights in this country that turned into scrums the moment the thrust reversers were deployed. More than once I've wished that the plane would enter sliding time at that moment and hurl the unbelted clowns into the bulkhead. Nevertheless, despite the occasional civility deficit on domestic flights, RMB 10,000 sounds like a lot of green for switching to the seat in the empty row without petitioning the flight crew. Also, considering that even a 737 carries over 20,000kg of fuel at takeoff, depending upon the model, you'd have to have eaten a shitload of river shrimp to "affect the balance of the plane". If you're taking a Piper Cub from Beijing to Shanghai, that may be more of an issue. But budget airlines haven't come to China yet.

As for those "thirteen irregularities", you can put the Metamucil down. It turns out they have nothing to do with that:
In addition, passengers shall also be fined when they conduct one of the 13 irregularities stated in the regulation. The 13 behaviors includes smoking on the plane; bringing hand luggage on the plane whose size and weight do not meet the specified standard; putting hand luggage on the plane without listening to crew members' advice and the behavior might affect people's evacuation under emergency situation; etc. Passengers shall also be fined when, under emergency situation, they do not follow crew members' advice and their behavior causes a chaos on the plane or affects the balance of the plane.
Well, I'm as opposed to "chaos on the plane" as the next guy, but I think the killer is going to be the hand luggage. Everyone and their dachshund brings a steamer trunk onto Chinese airplanes, which might indicate some distrust of airport luggage handling. Personally, I've never had a problem. But, then, I seldom try to check through a grand piano, a dead body in a pine box, or anything that might be difficult to handle or raise questions. The regulations also state that it's an offense to put "hand luggage on the plane without listening to crew members' advice". That makes me wonder: if I am in the process of stowing my luggage in the overhead bin and stewardess is giving me advice on something unrelated, such as how to match ties with shirts, am I still obliged to listen to her? Can she fine me for disregarding?

Of course, the regulations aren't in force yet. They've only been circulated. In the end, it all seems like welcome steps forward for Chinese aviation. Unless, of course, I'm the one being fined, in which case it's unconscionable, dictatorial nitpicking.