China Bank Hiring Ad Sparks Backlash Over Height Rule, Athlete Requirement

A rural lender in China apologizes after a job post requiring tall, certified athletes fuels accusations of insider hiring and draws online criticism.

A Chinese bank employee counts 100-yuan notes and 100-U.S. dollar bills at a bank counter in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China, on Aug. 6, 2019. STR/AFP via Getty Images

A recruitment notice from a rural banking institution in southwestern China has ignited a wave of online backlash—not for low pay or tough competition, but for unusual requirements, including one that said female applicants must be at least 175 centimeters (5 feet 9 inches) tall.

The posting, issued by the Yunnan Rural Credit Cooperatives Union, was part of the bank’s 2026 graduate recruitment drive, according to Chinese state-affiliated outlet The Beijing News on April 13. But what drew scrutiny was a set of additional qualifications attached to certain entry-level branch positions—requirements that critics say are not relevant to the actual job.

According to the original listing, applicants were required to hold at least a national second-level athlete certification, pass physical fitness tests, and demonstrate competitive ability in sports such as basketball, volleyball, or soccer. Height thresholds were also imposed—at least 185 cm (6 feet 1 inch) for men and 175 cm for women.

Insider Hires?

The specificity of the criteria quickly triggered accusations of insider deals, in which job postings are allegedly designed to fit a preselected candidate.

Several observers in China spoke to The Epoch Times on the condition that only their surnames be published out of fear of reprisal.

A resident in Kunming, China, surnamed Mei, said, “If this were a normal job, why require height and an athlete certificate?”

“It’s clearly designed for someone specific—probably a relative of someone inside,” he said.

The job posting was removed shortly after media coverage drew a public reaction. The Beijing News report said the bank revised the requirements within a day of the backlash and issued an apology.

A search of recruitment platforms by The Epoch Times shows that the original listing has since been taken down.

Public records show the Yunnan Rural Credit Cooperatives Union was founded in 2005 and oversees a network of rural financial institutions with assets totaling roughly 1.28 trillion yuan (about $180 billion).

Similar Cases

Reports of similar cases in other regions and sectors have circulated on Chinese social media and in domestic news coverage in recent years, often prompting public debate and, in some instances, responses from the institutions involved.

In 2024, a recruitment drive by the Guizhou Tobacco Monopoly Bureau required candidates for a customer manager role to hold sports-related degrees and athlete certifications, drawing skepticism online, according to the Chinese outlet National Business Daily. Officials later defended the process as compliant with regulations.

In July 2025, Chinese outlet The Paper reported that Chinese netizens questioned the hiring process at a college in Changzhou, China, alleging that a “preferred candidate” from within the institution had effectively been preselected.

In another case in February, a public-sector teaching position in Yunnan Province required applicants to be retired athletes from the local area who had placed second or third in provincial games—criteria that appear narrowly crafted to match a specific individual, according to Chinese media Jimu News.

A Chinese netizen surnamed Tong told The Epoch Times that such practices reinforce a perception that opportunities in China’s public and quasi-public sectors are increasingly closed off.

“These kinds of insider hires make it harder for qualified young people to find jobs,” he said. “In civil service exams, thousands apply for just a few positions, but people believe the outcomes are often decided in advance.”

Shao Rong contributed to this report.