Pass-the-Parcel: Chinese Style

Did you ever see the video of Russian Special Forces smashing milk bottles over their heads? The Chinese army did – and keen to demonstrate that they can ‘out-crazy’ anybody, they have been filmed playing pass-the-parcel with live explosives.

The soldiers of China’s elite PLA garrison were taking part in an exhibition (of extreme lunacy?) in Hong Kong as the island’s chief executive, Sir Donald Tsang, inspected the troops, and pass-the-parcel was one of many staged exercises. Other acts involved snipers shooting shot glasses, leaping through rings of fire, and riding motorcycles at high speed; but the showstopper was six soldiers standing in a circle passing round a satchel of explosives and throwing it in a hole and diving for cover before it detonates.

It appears that this is the Chinese army’s idea of a team-building exercise – and rather than use the gentler act of falling backwards and trusting your partner to catch you, their preferred option is designed to ‘improve psychological strength’ and to forge ‘fighting spirit’ through ‘near-impossible tasks,’ according to a PLA officer.

Of course, what better way to earn someone’s trust than to throw a live grenade at them. Middle management, take note.