Uniformed NPC Deputies Address Party Leadership, Modernization of China's Armed Forces

( 2012-March-7 10:50:27)

Uniformed deputies to China's national parliamentary session on Tuesday vowed to enhance Party leadership and speed up the modernization of the country's armed forces.

The armed forces should hold their loyalty to the Communist Party of China (CPC) and strictly follow its command, Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), said at a panel discussion of the PLA delegation during the annual session of the National People's Congress.

They should have good political awareness, pay attention to the overall situation and act in accordance with state interests, Chen said.

Director of the PLA General Political Department Li Jinai said at the same meeting that the armed forces should strictly obey orders from the CPC Central Committee, the Central Military Commission and its chairman, Hu Jintao.

The armed forces will improve political education among officers and soldiers and boost the development of CPC organs, he said.

During the discussion, Liao Xilong, director of the PLA General Logistics Department, pledged to create better combat, training and living conditions for servicepeople so that they can share the country's economic and social development.

Chang Wanquan, head of the PLA General Armament Department, said the department will work to facilitate the mission of docking a manned spaceship with space lab module Tiangong-1. The operation will be conducted this year.

Chang also promised to improve technical supports for the armed forces' new missions.

Jing Zhiyuan, commander of the Second Artillery Force, noted that the force will always prepare itself for military tasks, modernize its training under high technologies and raise its capacity for strategic deference and combat.

China's navy aims to improve its combat capacity based on computerized defense systems, PLA Navy Commander Wu Shengli said at the meeting.

PLA Air Force Commander Xu Qiliang also stressed that main task of the country's air force is to improve its competence and safeguard state interests when the country is in an important period of strategic opportunities for development.

On Sunday, China announced a plan to raise its defense budget by 11.2 percent to 670 billion yuan (106.4 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012.

 

(Source: Xinhua)