The recruitment process for China's air force ended on Sunday with 1,400 future pilots being selected from tens of thousands of high school graduates.

The recruitment is the largest in 20 years since the air force started to admit high school graduates for pilot training, said Sui Guosheng, an official with the Pilot Cadets Enrolment Work Bureau.

"The enthusiasm to join the military is pretty high this year," said Sui. "We expanded the recruitment process to 16 provinces this time and the number of ethnic minority students and students from western regions has risen sharply."

Applicants are required to pass a national college entrance exam and military tests to become qualified military pilots, Sui said.

Sui said the air force currently has 23,700 pilots who were selected to join the army as high school graduates. "They are now the "pillars" of the air force," Sui added.

This year, the air force is also planning to enroll 40 pilot cadets from second-year science and engineering students in civilian universities.

The recruitment process is open to 178 civilian universities nationwide and the selection is due to be completed by the end of July. Previous reports said more than 500,000 applicants had applied.

Upon graduation, they will receive a bachelor's degree in military science and be appointed as first lieutenants at company deputy commander level, Sui said.

Source: Xinhua