A food and drink tycoon in China has become mired in controversy for forcing new employees undergo “devil” military training. The company, Jinmailang, which is based in northern China’s Hebei province, put 76 newly recruited management trainees through a tough seven-day training regime at a military base. One participant told the media outlet China Philanthropist that they were required to do 80 push-ups the moment they arrived at the base.
The descriptor “devil” is widely used in China for military training of a harsh nature. People were also instructed to do hundreds of deep squats, weight trekking for 60 kilometres and to climb mountains without supplies. They were also asked to go to the homes of strangers to ask for small change and a meal, which was packaged as “urban survival” training.
A participant posted on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu that some people suffered heatstroke during the training. The military base said the exercises were intended to foster “team working spirit”, and they were challenging because the company was training them to be “future leaders”. It claimed medical staff were on standby and that no participant was forced to finish the training.
However, the base removed the training video it had posted on its social media account. Observers on mainland social media refused to accept the explanation. They called it “gaslighting” and “obedience training”.
“It is so difficult for young people to get a prop.