In a stunning blow for equality of the sexes, China Daily recently reported that aspiring female People's Liberation Army officers “are now required to perform a 'talent' as part of the country's current recruitment.” As of last Wednesday (November 25) the interview for female applicants now comprises, “a 30-second self-introduction, a 150-second question and answer period, and a 2-minute talent show.”

The reasons for the “talent” segment are a little hazy, though the China Daily report quoted Wang Qian, a vice battalion commander in the Second Artillery Force, as saying it was “extremely necessary to include the talent shows ...[because]... female soldiers are a special element of the army." She helpfully added “the army did not only want someone who is intelligent.”

Reading between the lines, I suspect the move has to do with the People's Militia babes upstaging regular troops at the National Day Parade on October 1 this year. Even the president himself broke into a broad grin at the sight of these fine young women in their boots, tight tops and short skirts.

It's a shame some of them were actually Singaporean fashion models hired for the the event, but then models are people too, so why shouldn't they be included in the People's Militia?

With the new “talent” criteria for its female officers, the PLA is clearly setting out early to prevent regular troops being upstaged in future parades. No doubt we can expect the odd fan dance next time the troops are out on Tiananmen, in addition to the stunningly robotic precision marching that awed viewers at this year's parade.