China forces all high school students to undergo military training in fear young people are losing their 'patriotic focus'

Xi Jinping developed the policy as Beijing continues to strengthen its military.

The Chinese President also fears young people are losing their patriotic focus and young men their masculinity.

The People’s Liberation Army is facing difficulties increasing recruitment numbers.

China’s growing economy poses an enormous threat through better paid and less rigorous career options.

However, military-inspired education is already a staple of the Chinese system.

Training schemes force students to wear military fatigues and perform drills.

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Some pupils even participate in basic combat and weapons training.

The new law tightens the wording of existing codes to remove any ambiguity and any suggestion that schools or students are allowed to opt out.

However, training has caused problems for students who object to the practice and there have been incidents leading to injury or death.

A 15-year-old boy from Nanjing collapsed and died of heatstroke after being made to complete an exercise in southern China’s high summer temperatures and intense humidity.

Students from both Hong Kong and Macau were once exempt but they received notices saying they now have to turn up to college early for the exercises.

The latest plan will likely help China as birth rates continue to collapse.

China has the largest number of active-duty military personnel, totalling almost 2.2 million.

India is ranked in second place on 1.45 million and the US is closely in third with 1.33 million.