No fat here. Fit PLA soldiers on maneuvers. (Photo : Reuters/China Daily)
Out-of-shape and overweight Chinese military personnel have been warned to keep in shape or be denied promotions.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has set compulsory standards for soldiers' weight and vowed to pay more attention to military fitness training.
While the PLA did not disclose the new weight standards, it hinted it would be stricter for soldiers than academic or administrative officers.
"It is strength but not weight, muscle not fat that is to be compared on the future war field," General Luo Yuan said.
PLA generals and soldiers have been the butt of jokes among Chinese who question their ability to fight in a real war.
A lot of them have unhealthy life styles and engage in excessive banquet drinking, which is usually brought about any corrupt practices.
Li Daguang, an expert with the National Defense University, said soldiers tend to gain weight in peacetime. He ascribed this to improved living conditions, changing lifestyles and dietary structure. He noted being overweight is harmful to soldiers' image and diminish battlefield capabilities and overall combat power.
He noted that the weight issue in the military is an ongoing problem.
The weight problem is worse for office-based military personnel, said Senior Colonel Zhang Junshe of the PLA's Naval Military Studies Research Institute.
Junshe observed that office-based soldiers are older than front-line soldiers; seldom engage in sports and render lots of overtime. He made special mention of military computer technicians who on average are less fit than expected.
