Chinese Soldiers Advised Against Online Gambling, Dating

China is in an ongoing battle with illegal gambling. Recent operations targeting unlawful activities have resulted in the arrest of 119 people in Hong Kong, helping shut down drug distribution, illegal gambling and prostitution rings.

Now, in a new message, the country’s armed forces were warned about the dangers of online love scams and online gambling. The message was disseminated via a social media post by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, highlighting the importance of resisting unlawful activities and upholding the integrity of the military.

Campaign Warns About the Dangers of iGaming

In its message, the PLA addressed the Navy soldiers born in 1990, acknowledging their importance of becoming the “core of the army,” and encouraging them not to disclose their military identity online, as reported by Reuters. Those soldiers were recognized as “extremely easy” targets for unlawful organizations and criminal minds.

The social media message pointed to the importance of ensuring the integrity of the military profession which has both a confidential and political nature. While the post didn’t encourage soldiers not to make friends online, it did say that Chinese military personnel should keep their distance from people online. Notably, the soldiers were told to “never lose sight of your principles and make random friends with netizens.”

Focusing on gambling in particular, the PLA pointed to the dangers of such activities. Currently, gambling is illegal in China and the country constantly combats unlawful retail and online gambling operations. The message that addressed soldiers compared the addiction to gambling to demonic possession. What’s more, the Navy soldiers were warned that illegal gambling and addiction can push them into a spiral of endless debt.

The Country Encounters Some Challenges

China’s armed forces remain an important and inseparable part of the country’s political landscape. Still, this doesn’t come without concerns amid struggles and criticism of weak discipline and corruption among the low and high ranks of the country’s armed forces.

In September, a massive match-fixing investigation in China resulted in the temporary and permanent ban of soccer players. The massive scandal affected a total of 128 people with the list including players, officials and soccer clubs. Notably, 43 officials and players were permanently removed from the sport after the Chinese authorities enforced lifetime bans.