A man claiming to be a former member of Chinese special forces wears a fake military uniform at a dating show. (Photo: Miaopai.com)

Chinese netizens are angered by a man who claimed to be a former member of Chinese special forces but wore a fake military uniform at a recent television show, which they said tarnished the image of the Chinese military.

Jun Zhengping Studio, a WeChat account run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Daily, reported the public outrage on Thursday, stressing that the military uniform must be respected and the image of the Chinese military must be protected.

Participating in a date show, the man wearing a "military uniform" claimed to have served in the Chinese military. However, netizens soon realized the uniform he was wearing was a hybrid containing elements from all kinds of uniforms, even of the US military's, the report said.

Whether the man is indeed a veteran could not be verified as of press time, but the uniform problem alone seemed enough to anger the Chinese netizens.

In one Sina Weibo post on the television show, hundreds of netizens questioned the man's clothing the past week.

"Using a fake military uniform and taking advantage of the image of the military are not proper behaviors," reads a common comment.

A former PLA officer told the Global Times on Thursday that she was concerned when the image of the military is abused for amusement and entertainment.

The sacred military uniform is used to catch attention and has become a marketing stunt, Jun Zhengping Studio said.

In a Chinese livestreaming website, a female live streamer in a military uniform sang and asked for "presents" from viewers, which was extremely ridiculous as she had heavy makeup and dyed hair, the report said.

According to China's regulations on the administration of military uniforms, performers in TV shows must abide by rules when wearing a military uniform and should not harm the image of the military.

The regulations also said uniforms of other organizations should be distinguished from military ones, and the production and sales of knockoff military uniforms are prohibited.

Any behavior that harms the military's image should also be rejected, the report said.