Army Provides Sure Guarantee for China's Modernization Drive

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 13, 2002

Army Provides Sure Guarantee for China's Modernization Drive

Deputies from the army attending the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) reviewed the tremendous achievements gained in the modernization of national defense and the army over the past few years. Full of pride and enthusiasm, they expressed their determination to firmly use Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "three represents" to inspire soldiers' morale, emancipate the mind, progress with the times and, with new achievements gained in the army's revolutionization, modernization and regularization, provide more safe and reliable guarantee for the country's modernization drive.

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The following report, jointly written by correspondents Cao Zhi and Xu Zhuangzhi of Xinhua, and People's Daily staff reporter Zhao Chuandong, is about the achievements gained in the drive for the modernization of national defense and the army.

Deputies from the army attending the Fifth Session of the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) reviewed the tremendous achievements gained in the modernization of national defense and the army over the past few years. Full of pride and enthusiasm, they expressed their determination to firmly use Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of the "three represents" to inspire soldiers' morale, emancipate the mind, progress with the times and, with new achievements gained in the army's revolutionization, modernization and regularization, provide more safe and reliable guarantee for the country's modernization drive.

Road to Crack Troops with Chinese Characteristics

The way of directing the army under new historical conditions, the move of building a powerful army in a new world pattern and the tactic of winning victories in a new form of war-these can be achieved only by progressing with the times and through reform and innovation. That was the consensus reached by the deputies when they talked about the achievements gained in the drive for the modernization of national defense and the army over the past few years.

General Party Secretary Jiang Zemin announced at the 15th National Party Congress in September 1997 that China would further cut back its troops by 500,000 in three years following its disarmament of 1 million troops carried out in the mid-80s. Acting in accordance with this decision, the Central Military Commission conducted a series of major readjustments to the establishment of army units.

Deputies pointed out that after the reduction of 500,000 troops, the army units became better and more efficient; the General Department of Equipment was founded, thus forming a centralized and unified leading system for the management of weaponry and equipment; establishing a logistic guarantee joint service system; and taking a substantial step forward in the military academy education in the intensive, open and high-level direction.

In the mid-1990s, acting on the military strategic principle and the strategy for building a powerful army through science and technology for the new period as set down by the Central Military Commission, our Army has shifted the focus of military training to the study of operational theories and methods on high-tech local war and to the study of high-tech knowledge and improvement of high-tech operational skills.

In September 1998, the Army, in meeting the challenge of new military revolution, reviewed and exchanged experiences and theoretical achievements in the reform of military training during the new period, thus taking an important step forward in the Army's military training based on science and technology.

Deputy Zhang Renzhong, political commissar from the Navy, said the essence of military training based on science and technology is, with science and technology as the impetus and through training and reform, to convert science and technology and knowledge accumulation, training, innovation and achievements into new growth points of fighting capacity and strive to use scientific and technical force to bring about a substantial leap in military training.

Coordinated Development of Defense Building and Economic Construction

A consolidated national defense and a powerful army are always the reliable guarantee for national prosperity and strength and the tranquility and happiness of the people, whereas a flourishing society will likewise constantly bring in fresh air and inject fresh blood into the building of national defense.

"National defense can become more consolidated only when defense building and economic construction are developing in a harmonious way", said Deputy Yang Yunzhong, a professor with the Jinan Army Academy, adding that "over the past few years, the country has experienced rapid changes in the political, economic, social and cultural fields. Under the background of this great change, defense and army building has also constantly absorbed the latest achievements gained in the development of social productive forces and has always maintained the vitality of the army."

Deputies also talked about the measures taken by the army in its harmonious development and synchronous advance with local economic construction, the measures include the following:

In 1998, the CPC Central Military Commission made the decision to decisively stop the Army and armed police from engaging in business activities. Major breakthroughs were achieved in reform of the security system, a series of security systems, such as a new system for guaranteeing army housing, an army men's casualty insurance system and an army men's retirement medical insurance system, were established one after another;

A three-services joint security system was established and started operation, thus putting an end to the three-services independent security model that had been in operation for half a century;

The system of military service was reformed, resulting in the reduction of compulsory military service years, widening the channels for the selection and promotion of military officers, adding two channels for "accepting graduates from institutions of higher learning" and "enrolling professional technicians and other personnel from outside the army", and instituting the system of recruiting soldiers from mong university students at school.

Deputy He Shibiao, an equipment military academy professor, while talking about reform of national defense science and technology industry, said that by adhering to the principle of integrating the army and the people, peace-time and war-time, the army had made timely adjustment to the structure of the national defense science and technology industry, founded a new national defense science and technology industry committee and straightened out the equipment management system, over the past few years, great impetus has been given to the development of defense building through a concentration of scientific, technical, financial and human resources.

Defense and Army Building Being Gradually Placed on a Legal Path

Deputy Fan Changlong, chief of staff of the Shenyang Military Area Command, said that in order to further strengthen military legislative work and quickly set up a military statuary system with Chinese characteristics, the Central Military Commission had formulated a legislative plan for the "10th Five-year Plan" period, thus effectively guaranteeing the organization, planning and continuity of military legislative work.

Deputies were filled with confidence as they reviewed the past, summarized experiences and looked forward to the future. They expressed their conviction that as long as the army firmly establish the important thought of the "three represents" in a guiding position in army building, conscientiously implement the military strategic principle for the new period, further emancipate the mind, update concepts, strive to explore new theories and new channels for military construction, solidly and effectively push forward preparations for military struggles, the drive for modernizing national defense and the army will definitely see a more brilliant future.

By People's Daily Online

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