Premier Zhu on National DefensePremier Zhu Rongji has called for strengthening China's national defense, stressing it is a basic guarantee to state security and the ongoing modernization drive.The premier made the call last week in an explanation of the Proposal of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee for Formulating the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-2005) for National Economic and Social Development. The proposal was adopted by the 5th Plenum of the 15th CPC Central Committee. The army should be built by focusing on its quality, developing science and technology, advocating thriftiness, adopting strict discipline, and carrying out reforms and renovations so as to boost its capability of defensive battles under high-tech circumstances, said the premier. Zhu called the defense industry a strategic sector as it is related to long-term national interests. A new defense industry system compatible with the requirements of national defense and a market economy should be built up, by accelerating adjustment, reform and development, he said. Efforts should be made to improve the level of the defense industry as a whole and to develop new- and high-tech weaponry, he stressed. |
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