BEIJING - Changing the military recruitment period is key not only in getting better-educated personnel but also maintaining the Chinese army's combat capability, a military official said Monday.

The previous period, which started on November 1, missed the best opportunity of recruiting talented young applicants because the date was nearly six months after graduation season, Mou Mingbin, head of the Conscription Office of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), said in an interview with Xinhua.

Mou said that the new recruitment period, which begins on August 1, follows graduation season and will encourage more talented young people, especially college students, to join the military.

The change is the first in 23 years.

According to Mou, the new period is also important for keeping the army's combat capability at a stable level.

In the past, the demobilization period which often begins in December closely followed recruitment, resulting in a sudden fall in the army's combat capability.

The new recruitment period, which allows enough time for recruits to be trained, is expected to solve this problem, Mou said.

Though it is more than one month before enrollment starts, the online recruitment service run by the MND is ready to receive applications, according to a Friday statement.