Opinion | Standing down 'literary soldiers' is a good move to combat graft

Perpetually glorified in the history of the People's Liberation Army is a narrative that says its soldiers, armed with millet plus rifles and running on two legs, were able to overcome the much more powerful troops of the Kuomintang equipped with tanks, cannons and motorised transport supplied by the United States, end the civil war and found the People's Republic.

Of all the important reasons behind the success, the contribution by the so-called literary soldiers - young people, mostly women, who sang, danced and performed dramas for soldiers on the front lines - cannot be underestimated. Their revolutionary songs and dramas reportedly played an important part in inspiring the soldiers to advance bravely.

Liu Yalou, one of China's most famous PLA generals, reportedly said he relied upon two groups to win battles - one was hundreds of thousands of combat troops and the other was a troupe of 500 entertainers, thereby demonstrating the weight he gave to literary soldiers.

From the civil war years until today, the PLA has tried to recruit the best and most talented entertainers, from singers, dancers and comedians to sportsmen and acrobats, with all major military units providing a song and dance troupe. Many of the entertainers become household names, frequently appearing on national television.

China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, joined the PLA at the age of 18 and became one of the country's most famous folk singers, much better known than her husband before Xi Jinping came to power late last year.

However, over the past few years, these literary soldiers, particularly the famous ones, have had very bad press.

Instead of performing for ordinary soldiers, they have jostled with pop singers for money and fame and flaunted their wealth by driving Mercedes and Maseratis. Some of them have become symbols of what's wrong' with the PLA - corruption, abuse of power and a decadent lifestyle for its elites.