THE STATE COUNCIL, China's Cabinet, recently issued a guideline on armed forces recruitment which states that refusing to serve in the military or not allowing the military to requisition resources should be noted in people's credit records. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

To wear a military uniform used to be the dream of young people in the 1970s and 1980s. However, the reality now is that a military profession is no longer a favored choice among young people and the military finds recruitment increasingly difficult.

There are many reasons for this, such as more choices for young people. But the root problem lies in the lack of punishment for those refusing to serve in the military. The law clearly says that every Chinese citizen has the obligation to serve in the military, but in reality seldom has anybody received any penalty for refusing to do so.