‘Enhancing national defense for world peace’

BEIJING—Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday called for redoubled efforts to step up defense and army building to guarantee national security and make greater contribution to world peace.
Hu made the remarks when he attended a meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army to the ongoing annual session of the National People’s Congress, or China’s parliament. “We must intensify our effort to strengthen national defense and step up army building while going all out for economic, political, cultural and social development, so as to support and guarantee the progress of socialism with Chinese characteristics and make greater contribution to world peace,” said Hu, also chairman of the Central Military Commission.
The modernization of the armed forces should be aimed at combat readiness, and military training should be conditioned to the age of information technologies, he said. “We must aim at improving the capability to win high-tech regional wars and keep enhancing the ability of the military to respond to security threats and accomplish a diverse array of military tasks,” the president said.
While describing reform and innovation as strong impetus to national defense and army building, Hu underscored the policy of upholding coordinated development of the economy and national defense. “We should step up the establishment and improvement of the research and production system for weapons and dual-use equipment, the education system for military personnel training and the military logistics system, promoting defense and military modernization based on the achievements of China’s economic and social development,” the president said.
Hu’s remarks came after the country’s consumer price index (CPI) scored 4.8 percent last year and an 11-year-high of 7.1 percent in January this year, triggering inflation fears. “We must ensure stable production and prices of ‘vegetable basket’ products (nonstaple food) for urban and rural consumers,” Hu said, speaking at a panel discussion of the delegation of Shandong Province at the ongoing annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament.
The president also accentuated the significance of changing the modes of economic development to promote a sound and rapid development. Senior leaders including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang also joined panel discussions of different delegations on Saturday.
Top legislator Wu Bangguo, while talking with lawmakers from the Fujian Province delegation who were deliberating his Saturday’s work report of the 10th NPC Standing Committee, pledged to make greater efforts to improve the committee’s work with the oversight of NPC deputies. “We must hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, unswervingly pursue the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics... in a bid to uphold and improve the system of people’s congresses and do a good job in this regard under new circumstances,” Wu said.

—Xinhua