Armed with short skirts and leather boots, China's Women's Liberation Army make its debut

Was anyone else watching China's national day parade surprised to see the massed ranks of short skirt and leather boot-clad female soldiers goose-stepping through Tiananmen Square?

For a brief second, I though I was watching an Austin Powers or Carry On film - come to think of it, Carry On People's Liberation Army has a certain ring to it.

Obviously women soldiers have played a key role in previous military parades in China but for this year's extravaganza, the requirements for female participants were altered from just being "brave" to being "brave, beautiful and elegant", according to state TV channel CCTV.

Presumably, the powers that be thought that the best way to honour Mao's legacy and pay tribute to China's transformation was to get some lovely ladies showing a bit of leg.

Given exclusive access to the women's preparations, a CCTV reporter found that "the female soldiers on the training ground are as good as the male soldiers in doing leg lifts and other movements".

But, unlike the lads, the ladies have some additional equipment they are required to carry on top of their weapons.

"We consider sun cream and other skin care products necessities," the leader of the female soldiers Chang Donghua told CCTV.

Photo from Xinhua. More photos here.