BEIJING - Sixteen high schools have been selected to be training bases for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force. They will provide flight training to students.

The schools, jointly selected by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the PLA General Political Department, will recruit male junior high school students aged 14 to 16.

The schools are in the provinces of Jilin, Hubei, Shandong, Sichuan, Hebei, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Henan, Hunan and Shaanxi.

"We receive a large amount of applications from these provinces. The selected schools are now qualified to provide flight training in addition to regular subjects," said Zhou Junqiang, from the PLA Air Force.

As Air Force weaponry is becoming more sophisticated, pilots should have a broader education.

According to an announcement issued last month, applicants must undergo assessment including psychological tests.

Successful applicants will receive a subsidy and should board at the schools. They will also commit to PLA aviation universities and participate in pilot recruitment tests after graduating from high school.