Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission (
CMC), called on the country's armed forces to get fully aware
of the changing situation, accelerate the pace of modernization,
perform their sacred mission of safeguarding state security and
national unification, raise the level of a regular army and provide
a powerful backing to the nationwide efforts to fight for the goal
of building a well-off society in all aspects and opening up a new
situation in building socialism with distinct Chinese
characteristics.
Jiang made the call at a panel discussion with a group of NPC
deputies representing the country's armed forces during the ongoing
Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC).
President Hu Jintao was present at the discussion in the capacity
of CMC Vice Chairman.
After lavishing praises on the armed forces for the outstanding
achievements over the past year, Jiang Zemin encouraged the armed
forces to make new contributions to modernizing the army,
safeguarding state security and national unification and building a
well-off society in all aspects with a high sense of political
responsibility and in high spirit in 2004, which, he said, is
crucial in performing the Tenth Five-Year Plan.
"It is a strategic decision of major importance to push the
reform of the armed forces, a decision taken after an analysis of
all aspects of the international strategic situation and China's
security and with an eye to taking up the challenges of new
accelerating military changes in the world," Jiang said. "It is a
profound revolution in the development of our armed forces. We must
seize the hard-to-get historical opportunities and bring the reform
into depth with a sense of immediacy."
He reiterated that the reform of the armed forces should be
carried out under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the
important thought of "Three Represents".
He urged the armed forces to apply information technology in all
possible areas and plan and push modernization of the army from a
new starting point and accelerate the pace of mechanizing the army
and applying information technology in the light of the laws
governing modern warfare.
He stressed the critical roles of professional personnel, urging
the whole army to study politics and military knowledge and modern
technology in order to improve the general quality of officers and
men, adding that high-ranking officers must, in particular, have
the sense of urgency in study and in raising their abilities of
commanding an army armed with information technology and modern
warfare characterized by information technology.
Wu Bangguo, chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC, told
a group of NPC deputies representing central China's Henan province
that the national legislature would continue to improve itself and
constantly expand democracy and the rule by law.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, meanwhile, told NPC deputies
representing east China's Jiangsu province that governments at all
levels must serve the people wholeheartedly and improve their style
of work, and build clean and efficient governments.
During his discussion with a group of deputies representing
Taiwanese people residing on the mainland, Jia Qinglin, member of
the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Chinese Communist
Party Central Committee, said the mainland respects the aspirations
of Taiwanese compatriots for democracy.
Jia said the mainland firmly opposes the use of "referendum" by
the Taiwan authorities to engage in separatist activities for
independence.
"We know only too well the value of peace and meanwhile we are
shouldering the heavy duty of safeguarding national sovereignty and
territorial integrity and in no way shall we allow anybody to
separate Taiwan from China by any means," he stressed.
Jia expressed the conviction that the great cause of
reunification of the motherland is sure to be accomplished with the
unremitting efforts by the sons and daughters of the Chinese
nation.
Also joining NPC panel discussions Thursday were Vice President
Zeng Qinghong, Vice Premier Huang Ju and the Party's chief
discipline inspector Wu Guanzheng.
(Xinhua News Agency March 12, 2004)
