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According to the training instructors of the People’s Liberation Army, it is an exercise that sharpens co-ordination, teamwork and mental strength.
Six soldiers standing in a circle toss a satchel of live explosives between them, counting down until it detonates.
Just before it does, the last soldier drops it into a hole and the six men dive for cover. Any miscalculation would be fatal; there is enough explosive in the bag to blast a plume of earth high in the air.
The exercise was staged during an exhibition drill in Hong Kong last month, as the island’s chief executive, Sir Donald Tsang, inspected the troops.
An elite garrison of 6,000 PLA troops, including three battalions of infantry, one artillery battery and a special forces company, is based in San Wai, a district of Hong Kong near the border with the mainland.
In the past two years, the PLA said, the garrison has been upgraded with new weapons and vehicles to "better protect" the island.
During the exhibition, snipers shot eight glasses, helping to unfurl scrolls which read “Hong Kong will have a better tomorrow”.
The special forces troops then staged a series of exercises, including carrying heavy logs, leaping through rings of fire, and riding motorcycles at high speed.
However, the game of explosive hot potato was the “most exciting and thrilling part”, according to Chinese Central Television (CCTV), which aired highlights of the show.
The soldiers who took part have an average age of 22 and can speak both Chinese and English, the PLA said, with one officer saying that the tasks were designed to improve “psychological strength” and to forge “fighting spirit” through the “near-impossible tasks”.
CCTV said the exercise would help the soldiers remain calm if they were confronted with a real emergency.
"I'm pleased to see the high-spirited, well-trained and highly disciplined soldiers as well as the advanced weapons and equipment. It is obvious that the state can shoulder the responsibility of defending Hong Kong, and I feel really assured," said Sir Donald.
Video: Chinese army plays lethal game of pass-the-parcel - Telegraph
Six soldiers standing in a circle toss a satchel of live explosives between them, counting down until it detonates.
Just before it does, the last soldier drops it into a hole and the six men dive for cover. Any miscalculation would be fatal; there is enough explosive in the bag to blast a plume of earth high in the air.
The exercise was staged during an exhibition drill in Hong Kong last month, as the island’s chief executive, Sir Donald Tsang, inspected the troops.
An elite garrison of 6,000 PLA troops, including three battalions of infantry, one artillery battery and a special forces company, is based in San Wai, a district of Hong Kong near the border with the mainland.
In the past two years, the PLA said, the garrison has been upgraded with new weapons and vehicles to "better protect" the island.
During the exhibition, snipers shot eight glasses, helping to unfurl scrolls which read “Hong Kong will have a better tomorrow”.
The special forces troops then staged a series of exercises, including carrying heavy logs, leaping through rings of fire, and riding motorcycles at high speed.
However, the game of explosive hot potato was the “most exciting and thrilling part”, according to Chinese Central Television (CCTV), which aired highlights of the show.
The soldiers who took part have an average age of 22 and can speak both Chinese and English, the PLA said, with one officer saying that the tasks were designed to improve “psychological strength” and to forge “fighting spirit” through the “near-impossible tasks”.
CCTV said the exercise would help the soldiers remain calm if they were confronted with a real emergency.
"I'm pleased to see the high-spirited, well-trained and highly disciplined soldiers as well as the advanced weapons and equipment. It is obvious that the state can shoulder the responsibility of defending Hong Kong, and I feel really assured," said Sir Donald.
Video: Chinese army plays lethal game of pass-the-parcel - Telegraph
