Foreign and Military Affairs

China to amend law to enlist more college students

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-27 19:44

BEIJING - China's top legislature on Monday started reviewing a draft amendment to the country's military conscription law for the first time in 13 years with the purpose of recruiting more college students.

The draft amendment submitted to the 11th National People's Congress Standing Committee removed an article that stated that full-time students can defer their military service.

China should attract more better-educated recruits to its armed forces, according to a draft amendment to the Military Service Law submitted to the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

The draft amendment also stated that college graduates recruits with outstanding performance in the army may be directly promoted to active-duty officer posts.

College students enlisted for active service may resume their studies within 2 years of leaving the military, according to the amendment, which also raises the maximum age for recruitment to 24 years old.

China's military has featured compulsory service ever since the NPC passed the Military Service Law in 1984. The law states that Chinese citizens over the age of 18 must serve in the military upon being requested to do so, except for disabled people.

Currently, most of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s new recruits are high school graduates. The active conscription law provides a deferment option for students who are taking part in full-time education.

Modernization construction of the national defense and the armed forces need more and more college students to join the army, sources with the National Defense Ministry said last month.

Upgraded weapon systems and modern warfare techniques require soldiers with more technological savvy. This has prompted the PLA to seek recruits in the country's booming population of college graduates.

The military started enlisting college graduates in 2001. By the end of 2009, college graduates accounted for 130,000 of the PLA's soldiers.