China Gen Z snipers nicknamed ‘Sweetheart’, ‘Gun Queen’ challenge gender stereotypes

Female sharpshooters go the extra mile physically and mentally to become the very best at handling heavy weapons

Two female Gen Z snipers in China have drawn attention on the training ground, defying gender stereotypes with their marksmanship and grit.

Liu Jiangtao, 26, from Chongqing in southwestern China, serves as a sniper in a mobile unit of the Sichuan corps of the People’s Armed Police (PAP).

She began as a scout, but later broke the women’s record in a sniper selection test, firing three rounds through a single hole on a coin-sized target hundreds of metres away.

Her rise, however, was met with scepticism.

Critics doubted her slight frame could handle the QBU-10, a 1.4-metre-long sniper rifle designed to strike high-value targets including armoured vehicles, helicopters and fortifications.