China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) has started its winter
recruitment campaign introducing nationwide psychological tests for
the first time, according to an army conference
held?Friday.
The recruitment this year focused on rural middle school
graduates, urban junior college graduates and vocational school
graduates, said a senior officer with the general staff of the PLA
at a national teleconference.
"Higher standards will be imposed to new recruits so as to meet
the challenges of the accelerated pace of Chinese military reform,"
he said.
Physical examination will continue to include AIDS and drug
tests, and psychological tests will be more widely promoted across
the country, he said.
PLA recruits are usually young men aged between 18 and 20 and
female high school graduates 18 or 19. The age limit extends to
22for young men with higher education, according to the recruitment
office of the Ministry of National Defense.
The office requires urban male recruits to have at least high
school education and favors university students. For those from
rural areas, elementary education is a must.
The PLA recruits nationwide once a year in winter.
(Xinhua News Agency September 10, 2007)