More than 70,000 young Chinese have applied to take the national exams for enrollment as a cadet in academies run by the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).

The applicants are graduates from more than 6,000 colleges and high schools from all over the country, said an Air Force spokesman.

This year, Air Force academies plan to recruit some women cadets from high school and university graduates, the spokesman said.

The recruitment is expected to end by September.

(Xinhua News Agency February 26, 2005)