BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese citizens, starting from this year, will need to pass psychological tests if they want to join the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Liberation Army Daily has reported.

　　The PLA recruitment office issued two interim regulations earlier this year, requesting that all applicants take psychological tests, the report said.

　　A psychological testing recruitment center has been set up in the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, with the approval of PLA General Staff Headquarters and the PLA General Logistics Department.

　　The report said the center is responsible for formulating and improving test standards, researching and upgrading the surveillance network, staff training and technical support.

　　The PLA conducts nationwide recruitment once a year in winter.

　　According to the report, the PLA recruitment office and research departments started piloting the psychological tests in 2002 in over 400 cities and counties. Over 100,000 applicants have taken the tests.

　　"The contents, standards and methods of the psychological recruitment tests have been revised, improved and upgraded over the past five years," the report said, adding that the tests finally passed national assessment in July.

　　"The move is designed to prevent young people with mental and psychological problems from joining the army," the report quoted an official with the PLA General Logistics Department as saying.

　　"It aims to improve the overall quality of army officers and soldiers and reinforce battle effectiveness," the official said.

　　China has become increasingly aware of the mental health of its armed forces. Earlier this year, China's military colleges were ordered to carry out drug and psychological tests when recruiting would-be military officers.

　　Some PLA brigades have set up psychological consulting facilities with the aid of civilian schools to deal with psychological problems faced by servicemen.