Beijing Wants Its Young Chinese Men To Be More 'Manly'

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) take part in a winter training in temperatures below minus 10 degrees Celsius at China's border with Russia in Heihe, Heilongjiang province, February 26, 2015. REUTERS/China Daily 


A notice from China's education ministry has caused a stir after it suggested young Chinese men had become too "feminine". The message has been criticised as sexist by many online users - but some say China's male celebrities are partly to blame. 

For a while China's government has signalled concern that the country's most popular male role models are no longer strong, athletic figures like "army heroes". Even President Xi Jinping, a well-known football enthusiast, has long been seeking to cultivate better sports stars. 

So last week, the education ministry issued a notice with a title that left no doubt about its ultimate goal. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Russia has a similar program, and it has been around for as long as I can remember. But if I was China I would be more focused on this bigger problem .... Over half of adults in China now overweight: National Health Commission (The Star).

Subscribe to receive free email updates: