China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy is recruiting highly educated graduates to pilot its newly upgraded warplanes as the Asian country aims to modernise its military forces. 

“The need for high-quality military talent becomes more imperative day by day,” the Chinese navy said in an advert. “The mission and tasks of the navy continue to expand. The speed of the strategic shift of the navy is being accelerated.”

It comes as China plans to outgrow its political rival, the United States, in military capabilities. 

In 2022, China began to allow undergraduates aged 24 or below to apply to fly its aircrafts as the navy’s fleet of aircraft carriers continues to expand.

According to VOA, China is in the final stages of preparing its third, but first domestically made, aircraft carrier – the Fujian – for sea trials, a key step before the warship goes into operational service.

Before now, application for prospective military pilots was limited to candidates to high school graduates aged below 20.

In the latest advertisement published on WeChat on Wednesday, the navy said aspiring applicants must hold science and engineering master’s degrees and must be below 26 years old, with a clean legal or disciplinary record, and must have no political history.

“The mission and tasks of the navy continue to expand. The speed of the strategic shift of the navy is being accelerated,” the advertisement said.

The training for successful applicants will include three to four years of aviation theory studies and practical flight training, and they will be provided with free medical care for themselves and their immediate family, as well as free housing provided by the government.