"If you're ugly, short or rude, your career prospects in the Chinese navy don't look like plain sailing";

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4762803.stm



"China's navy has increased its exchanges with foreign counterparts"

Full report:
"Officials say anyone joining the service in 2006 must be good-looking, tall and polite.

Manners and looks matter because navy vessels often visit other countries and host reciprocal visits, a spokesman has told the official Xinhua news agency.

Candidates will also be tested on their professional knowledge and physical and psychological stamina, he says.

Minimum height requirements will be 1.7m for men and 1.65m for women. In recent years China has increased its participation in naval exercises with other countries.

In August 2005, China and Russia held large-scale exercises involving army, navy and air force troops.

The previous year, British and Chinese navies carried out their first joint maritime search and rescue exercises near the north-eastern port of Qingdau."


Considering China has a huge population, i'd say its fair enough if they want to be picky with who goes into their military and stuff- and besides, at least maybe one day they can say they have the hottest sailors in asia .

Other little reforms/fine tuning going on their armies;

"No snorers allowed in China army";

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4939514.stm

Ah the perfect chinese man...Fit, polite, good looking, doesn't snore, loves his country...

I have to careful on these subjects, but I will be on the lookup to experience this phenom when the Chinese Navy docks at Pattaya.

What standards are used for being good looking, I wonder?

How do they judge female beauty contests? Same difference. They won't be calling you as a judge, that's for sure.

Holding beauty pagents does not seem to me to be sound military strategy.

I think it is a PR thing when their male beauties travel abroad, people will think, what a great country with such lovely soldiers.

I would imagine so, yea.

I know that I respect China more for the effort.

Somehow the fact that, while China may be a brutal dictatorship that crushes all political dissent and consistently threatens to invade it's immediate neighbors, it at least has good looking soldiers, is not particuarly comforting to me.

And now they are also on the human rights commission at the UN. Happy thoughts.

Indeed. Didn't Syria head it up until recently?

china is gay.

As I know,PLA has lots of restricts when they recruit newbies.

One of my friend burnt his arm when he was very young.Because of the slightly scar,he was refused by officer.If his wear summer suits of the army,the scar would be seen clearly.

Cut down all the hear or make any tattoo on skin is also banned.

I admitted the PLA want to keep a good appearance.
In fact,that did call in many people with good habits. Especially the one who cares his glory and honour as his appearance.
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I have different opinion about human rights,perharps we can discuss it on other post.

By this same token, should any of those 'pretty' and active sailors, soldiers etc, have stopped a round, or perhaps shrapnel, the visual product would be enough to drum them out, or be grounds for refusal for someone wishing to reenlist?

If that were the case, I would Never be able to become a Chinese Swab Jockey. Too much alteration to my hide.

Die young and you leave a pretty corpse.
I applaud the Chinese governments valuation of male aesthetics.

Why am I not surprised? I will be willing to bet that you are also wishing to be a rooster in the PRC hen house as well, correct?

Well with the chinese having millions of people at their desposal, all trying to climb the social ladder and have a respectable or admirable job, i think its fair play if they want to be more picky with who gets into their armies. You don't need to just have brains and muscle to be a good and effective solidier, you must have a good appearance too whatever the situation.
Since you represent your country, it does not look if all your solidiers look like they've been picked fresh off the streets and farms, a rag bag of shapes and szies. Its like how you don't just clean your gun to work well, you clean it so it looks good and oragnised too. You don't just iron your shirt so its easier to fold, you iron it so it looks good- your country looks good when you present yourself to the rest of the world.
Its amazing how much peoples opinions are changed by what sort of image tourists who come to your country present .

I can't really picture that, but if a Chinese Navy ship visits Pattaya, I send those handsome young men my official American welcome.

I thought you were still in Atlanta. Anyway, it is certainly nice to see someone keeping on topic TQ.