Aiming to improve Chinese students' overall fitness, the education authority called on Monday for greater emphasis on physical education in school admissions and assessment of officials.

To encourage students to exercise more, the Ministry of Education urged high schools and colleges to give more consideration in admissions to students' PE class attendance, fitness level and on-campus athletic performance. It also asked that the work evaluation of local education and school officials be partially based on students' results.

The call was in response to a regulation issued on Friday by the State Council, China's Cabinet, aimed at highlighting physical education's role in China's education system.