China's People's Liberation Army has lowered the age range for air force pilot training candidates from 17 to 20 years old down to 16 to 19.

Sui Guosheng, head of air force recruitment, said high school graduates born between September 1, 1988, and August 31, 1992, would be eligible to apply for the military pilot academies this year.

Applicants must first pass the national college entrance examination, and sit secondary examinations in maths and English or Russian, set by the academies.

The Air Force needed to recruit talented people for aerial or space missions in the future, Sui said.

Under the new policy, the students are bound to repay their training costs if they drop out of the pilot academies.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2007)