China Launches 11th National Student Military Training Camp Hosted by Air Force

China has launched its 11th National Student Military Training Camp at the Air Force Communication NCO Academy in Dalian, Liaoning Province. Jointly organized by the Ministry of Education and the Central Military Commission's National Defense Mobilization Department, and hosted by the PLA Air Force, the 14-day event brings together 768 student representatives from secondary and higher education institutions across all 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The camp combines practical combat skills with military theory and visits to operational air force units.

As a national demonstration platform for youth defense education, the camp highlights China's ongoing efforts to modernize school military training. By integrating branch-specific military experiences into student instruction, authorities aim to deepen defense awareness and foster national defense commitment among young citizens.

On July 30, China opened its 11th National Student Military Training Camp at the Air Force Communication NCO Academy in Dalian, Liaoning Province, according to reports from PLA Daily and People's Daily. The 14-day camp is co-organized by the Ministry of Education and the Central Military Commission's National Defense Mobilization Department, with the People's Liberation Army Air Force serving as the host branch. The camp brings together 768 student representatives from ordinary institutions of higher learning and high school-level schools across 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Operating under the theme "Sharpening Ambition in the Sea of Clouds, Starting Dreams in the Vast Sky," the program is structured around four primary modules: military theory instruction, military skills training, practical military experiences, and military cultural activities. According to state media reports, the military theory module covers air force equipment technology and the cultivation of fighting spirit. Physical and operational skills training includes automatic rifle live-fire shooting, nuclear, biological, and chemical protection, battlefield medical rescue, directional cross-country navigation, and forced marches. In addition, students will visit an aviation unit of the PLA Air Force to observe military hardware up close, watch demonstrations of airborne assault and capture maneuvers, and participate in parachute folding exercises. Cultural activities feature an August 1 Army Day flag-raising ceremony and visits to patriotic historical sites. China launched the national student military training camp system in 2014 to reform and standardize military instruction in schools. Since 2017, the camp has adopted a rotating format where a different branch of the armed forces hosts the event each year, focusing on a specific defense theme. Official media noted that the initiative aims to model innovative instructional methods, share best practices across regions, and enhance national defense awareness and military literacy among youth.