Soldiers who gain weight to miss out on promotion
Print Edition
KEEP fit or lose rank. Members of the People’s Liberation Army have been reminded to stay in shape or else they’ll lose out on promotions.
“Soldiers are easily gaining weight in peacetime,” said Li Daguang, an expert with the National Defense University. “It has been more than 30 years since the Chinese army fought in a war.”
With improved living conditions, changing lifestyles and dietary structure, soldiers live comfortably and are putting on weight, Li said.
“Being overweight will not only harm the soldiers’ image, but also affect their performance on the battlefield and the troop’s overall combat power,” he said.
The PLA has set standards for soldiers’ weight and vowed to pay more attention to military fitness training, with the aim of building a stronger force, according to a “Reform and development of military physical training” guideline.
“Physical training should be linked to personnel management,” says the guideline, and overweight soldiers and officers will not be promoted.
Military physical training is “a basic way of enhancing soldiers and officers’ physical and mental quality” and helps cultivate combat power, it says, calling for innovative training methods and outlining a distinctive military training system.
“It is strength but not weight, muscle not fat that is to be compared on the future war field,” said PLA Major General Luo Yuan.
The guideline reflects the principle of running the army strictly, he said, and it is an international convention to quantify soldiers’ weight standards.
Senior Colonel Zhang Junshe said that the weight issue is an even bigger problem for those working in military offices.
“They are older than front-line soldiers and often work overtime and do little sport, especially military computer technicians whose average weight surpasses standards,” said Zhang.
The PLA did not disclose new weight standards, but those for soldiers and academic or administrative officers should differ.
The Chinese public often joke about big bellied PLA generals and police officers, questioning their ability to fight a real war on the battlefield.
Some of them are out of shape due to excessive drinking at banquets and other unhealthy lifestyles.
However, since the Communist Party’s frugality campaign was launched in late 2012, drinking at banquets has been in decline.
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