Weekend Long Read: How China’s Military Gearheads Are Driving a New Trend in Toys

(Sixth Tone) — Everyone has a consuming passion for something. For some, it’s a sports team, a pop singer, or a favorite writer. For Li Haochen, it’s the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).

The 25-year-old obsesses over photos of new military hardware in the same way that movie fans pore over teasers for a soon-to-be-released blockbuster. Last year, he spent much of his spare time tracking the launch of China’s third aircraft carrier, the “Fujian.”