Two men in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region who stole and sold the tracks of a PLA tank were sentenced to up to a year in prison for theft, local media reported.

According to Yinchuan Evening News on Wednesday, a man surnamed Ma was sentenced to a year in prison and fined 5,000 yuan ($707.9). His accomplice, surnamed Yang, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined 4,000 yuan. The two thieves were also required to compensate the local troops for unspecified economic losses.

Early this year, the two thieves snuck on to an army training base and stole part of the track belt on a Type 59 tank parked in a field. They used a hammer, chisel and other tools to disassemble the track.

Ma sold the stolen tracks for 3,250 yuan, and gave Yang 700 yuan.

The two were caught by police the next day when they returned to the base to steal more tracks.

Some netizens suggested the two men deserved much longer sentences for damaging military weapons.

"Since the tank is undoubtedly an 'important weapon' and the field in which it was parked belongs to a military facility, the two men should have been charged with crimes for harming the interest of national defense, rather than theft," Mei Xinyu, a current affairs commentator, told the Global Times on Thursday.

Suspects who damage important weapons, military facilities or military telecommunication services should be sentenced from three to 10 years in prison, according to China's criminal law.