Keep fit or lose rank: Army sets standard for soldiers' weight

[File photo: Xinhua]

Members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been reminded to stay in shape or else lose out on promotions.

The PLA has set a compulsive standard for soldiers' weight and vowed to pay more attention to military physical training, according to "reform and development of military physical training (2015-2020)" guideline published Friday.

"Physical training should be linked to personnel management," said the guideline, referring to promotions or demotions.

Military physical training is "a basic way of enhancing soldiers and officers' physical and mental quality" and helps cultivate combat power, it said.

It called for innovative training methods and outlined a distinctive military training system.