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No More Hanky Panky? China Wants Soldiers to Stop Masturbating, Get on Treadmill

© AP Photo / Fei Maohua/XinhuaIn this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops march in formation Sunday, July 30, 2017, as they arrive for a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on Aug
In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops march in formation Sunday, July 30, 2017, as they arrive for a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on Aug - Sputnik International
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After more than half of applicants from an undisclosed city failed China's army's fitness exams, officials blamed the poor showing on recruits' love of masturbation and lack of exercise.

The report, shared on social media by the People's Liberation Army Daily, indicated 20 percent of the potential soldiers failed the fitness test because they were overweight, while another eight percent of male candidates were dismissed because they had an enlarged testicular vein.

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Though it's unclear how authorities actually knew about the testicular vein, the report said it was "related to sitting too long on computer games, excessive masturbation and too little physical activity."

Some of the other reasons would-be soldiers were rejected included failing vision tests and having damaged livers and gallbladders. Military wigs blamed these two on excessive use of electronic gadgets and overindulging in junk food, soda and alcohol.

China's Defense Ministry, wanting to dismiss the notion that unfit applicants were entering its ranks, later released a statement Tuesday reassuring the public its People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces were in fact combat-ready.

"China's recruitment process has strict rules and procedures," the statement read. "The quality of our recruits is guaranteed, and the headwaters of our military will flow long and strong."

"Recruitment is the foundation of national defense, and high-quality recruits are crucial to the military's combat capability," the statement added.

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) get ready for the military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the army at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, July 30, 2017 - Sputnik International
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However, with couples having few children and many others not able to meet entrance requirements governing height and vision, Beijing's military has relaxed some of its standards in order to attract more youths with higher educations.

Peking University reported that height requirements have dropped from 162 centimeters to 160 for men and 160 centimeters to 158 for women. With roughly 70 percent of high school and university students deemed nearsighted in China, eyesight quality standards were also reduced.

"While the physical criteria may have been lowered slightly, the educational requirement has been increased significantly," Major General Zhu Chengdu, a professor at PLA National Defense University, told PLA Daily. "A strong body is still very important for a soldier, but education is now more valuable than ever in building a strong, modern military."

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