Advanced Culture and Ethics Form Strong Force of Cohesion

This report is about the "two sessions" at which NPC deputies and CPPCC members talked about struggles we waged against US-led NATO bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Yugoslavia, against Lee Teng-hui's splitting acts, against the "Falun Gong' heretic organizations' wanton activities; and the two grand celebrations of the 50th birthday of New China and Macao's return.

Through the experience of frightful billows and terrible waves and the commemoration of historical events last year, the whole Party, the whole army and the people of all nationalities of the country have built up a valuable force of cohesion which has provided a useful enlightenment for strengthening ideological-political work and accelerating cultural and ethical progress.

Developing the Economy Unshakable

On January 28 this year, the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) newly elected its deputies to the Ninth National People's Congress (NPC) after Macao's home-coming on December 20, 1999. The most earnest desire of the 400,000-plus Macao compatriots is to develop the economy by relying on the motherland. The most fundamental reason behind Macao's return also lies in the growing strength of the motherland. NPC deputy Zhang Zhenliang, a 73-year-old man from Beijing's suburban Fangshan, was on a float for model workers taking part in the National Day parade. He said, "I have the experience of taking part in agrarian reform, serving as secretary of a village Party branch and today I am still secretary of the village Party committee, so I know full well what's on farmers' minds: social stability, a secured life."

On National Day, throughout China and around the world, sons and daughters of the Chinese nation sat beside the TV sets to watch the grand celebrations of the National Day, they took great pride in the prosperity and might of the motherland. Wang Weishan, director of the Labor Department of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and secretary of the Party leading group, said with feeling: As an NPC deputy of Mongolian nationality, I'm deeply aware that the stability and might of the motherland will produce tremendous cohesive force for the fraternal ethnic minorities. Today, the unification of the motherland, the unity of the people, the solidarity of various nationalities at home provide a foundation for the development of our Inner Mongolia. Only when the motherland becomes stronger can it better support the development of the frontier areas. The consolidation of frontier defense, in turn, creates conditions for the development of the hinterland.

Development is an absolute principle. The conviction of the Chinese people of all nationalities has become firmer than ever before in making China prosperous and expanding national strength. And here is the source of the cohesive force.

On May 8, 1999, US-led NATO launched missile bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade. Chen Guangyuan, CPPCC National Committee member and director of the Chinese Islamic Association, said when he learned that China's sovereignty was being encroached upon, "we people in the religious circle felt great indignant, we held forums and rallies according to law, I myself also took part in the parade, protesting against US-led NATO's atrocity. Facts have told us that the key to having a say in the international arena and avoiding being bullied lies in the overall national strength and the economic development ability.

The year 1999 saw many happy events and contingencies, but the central task of economic construction was not in the least shaken. In the year, readjustment of the agricultural and industrial structures was put on the agenda. The total value of import and export came to US$360.7 billion, up 11.3 percent over the previous year. If we continue this development, our socialism will become more attractive, and our conviction and ideal will become firmer.

At the "two sessions" held in Beijing in the first half of February this year, Beijing people's congress deputies and members of the Beijing CPPCC committee carried out heated discussions on developing the "economy of the capital". Chen Guangwen, CPPCC National Committee member and chairman of Beijing CPPCC committee, said, "Developing the capital's economy with scientific and technological progress as the core and the knowledge economy as the orientation has become the common view of the people of the whole city.''

Building Up the Ability of Scientific Judgment

Zhou Qiang, NPC deputies and first secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League, said that the "May 8" incident serves as a very good material by negative example, it gave the youths a vivid lesson on the Western concept of value. It has enabled the youths of this generation to see clearly that the United States practices hegemony behind the human rights and democracy it advertises. These youngsters no longer have blind faith in the Western concept of value, instead, they have come to a scientific understanding of the motherland and socialism.

With regard to the exposition and criticism of "Falun Gong" heretic organizations, Deputy Li Qiangou said a medical worker should shoulder the heavy responsibility of popularizing scientific knowledge and advocate a healthy and civilized living style. Ye Lang, CPPCC National Committee member and aesthetician, pointed out that the "Falun Gong" incident had not only put to us the question regarding popularization of scientific knowledge, but had reminded us of the need to pay attention to the building of a mental world. Therefore, while strengthening education in natural science, we should also step up humanistic education. Only the thinking that attaches equal importance to natural science and humanistic science can be regarded as a scientific thought in its real sense.

Speaking about the struggle against Lee Teng-hui's "two-states theory", Han Ruqi, CPPCC National Committee member and Central Committee Standing Committee member of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, said: We should strengthen links with various Taiwan circles through various channels, so that compatriots in Taiwan will come to realize that reunification of the two sides of the Straits is beneficial to both sides, is common development and is a "win-win" cause. He expressed the hope that the Taiwan authorities will really proceed from the interests of the general public to bring an early realization of the great cause of the reunification of the motherland, and must not go against the historical trend.

Giving Play to the Moving and Inspiring Force of Advanced Culture

The three political struggles and two grand ceremonies of celebrations in 1999 gave us two-faceted major enlightenment, that is, under whatever circumstance, we should stress mass ideological-political work, this is a matter concerning the general situation regarding the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and is a major event of the whole Party. NPC deputies and CPPCC members said with feeling that it is necessary to study the new characteristics of people's thinking trend, grasp the law and creatively carry out work.

Deputy Zhou Qiang stressed the need to pay attention to education in things coming from practice. Practice includes practice of the masses and practice of one's own. In light of the characteristics of youths, the Communist Youth League has launched the activity of young volunteers, helping-the-poor with science and technology and engaging in scientific and technological creation. The activity of "100 doctors journeying to the west" was launched this January-all these belong to the practical activities of the young people themselves.

Deputies Chen Lunfen and Wang Run pointed out that in strengthening ideological-political work, it is necessary to stress the construction of positions, including public opinion position, theoretical position, cultural position, network position, community position and rural position.

NPC deputies and CPPCC members emphatically pointed to the need to pay attention to the construction of community and rural ideological and cultural positions.

Mighty national strength, scientific judgment and the moving and inspiring force of an advanced culture will form into a national cohesive force, this is the useful enlightenment given us by the several events in 1999. In the new year, this enlightenment will further promote the ideological-political work and cultural and ethical progress.

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