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In a report disseminated by the PLA, the vast military confirmed 20 per cent of the new recruits from an undisclosed city who failed the fitness exam did so because they were overweight, while a further 8 per cent were released for having an enlarged testicular vein.

The report claimed this may have been “related to sitting too long on computer games, excessive masturbation and too little physical activity”.

The nation attempts to keep a firm grip on the fitness of their recruits following massive expansions to their forces in recent years which have made them the third largest military in the world.

The PLA were later forced to release a statement confirming their troops were all combat ready.