The Chinese military has relaxed its physical standards for new recruits in an effort to attract more young people with higher education backgrounds.

The height requirement for a male candidate has been adjusted from 162 centimeters to 160 cm and for female candidates, from 160 cm to 158 cm, according to the Defense Ministry's recruitment office. The upper weight limit for male enlistees was also relaxed to allow more portly young men into the military.

This year's enrollment will start on Aug 1 and end on Sept 30; university students or graduates can apply earlier, the recruitment office said.

The new standards also lowered eyesight requirements because nearly 70 percent of high school and university students in China are nearsighted. The PLA has also for the first time removed mental illnesses from a list that would bar candidates from military service, including schizophrenia, dissociative disorder, depression and bipolar disorder.

The four municipalities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, and provincial capitals, as well as regions with high concentrations of universities, will recruit only among those who have at least a high school diploma. Other cities or regions will gradually reduce the number of recruits without a high school education, according to the office.

Enlisting more high-quality soldiers is extremely important to building a strong and capable military, recruitment officials said, noting the PLA has created a host of preferential policies to attract young people.