Chinese government official James Zhang is on a health kick. At the staff canteen, the 45-year-old piles his plate with salad and two hard-boiled eggs for lunch.
Zhang has lost 15kg (33 pounds) since March last year. He jogs 5km (3.1 miles) every second day, maintains a healthy diet and keeps track of his calorie intake like a professional nutritionist.
Like many others in Chinese officialdom, Zhang used to be overweight due to lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet, smoking and drinking.
The turnaround is not because he had a mid-life crisis, but the result of six months spent in Beijing last year at the Central Party School, where China’s next generation of leaders are trained.
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SCMP Explains: How does the Chinese Communist Party operate?
SCMP Explains: How does the Chinese Communist Party operate?
