Xinhua, the official news agency of China, published Tuesday a story on the contribution to national defense and the army by the third generation leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) with Jiang Zemin at the core.

Xinhua published the story to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which falls on Thursday, August 1.

On November 12, 1989, Jiang spoke at a top military conference for the first time after he succeeded Deng Xiaoping as chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and he pledged to follow the road of the older-generation revolutionaries and do a better job in the development and reform of the army, according to the story.

Since then, Jiang and the CMC have focused on bringing the army into line with international developments, while keeping its nature as a people's army under the absolute leadership of the CPC.

Jiang has issued a series of instructions on the building of the Chinese armed forces into a modern, standard and revolutionary army, amid enormous political changes in the world.

Over the past 13 years, the army has adopted a number of reforms, including a 500,000-member cut in manpower, further downsizing the military which was reduced by one million in the 1980s; establishing the PLA General Department of Logistics; and banning the armed forces from commercial activities.

In addition, reforms have also been carried out in the fields of recruitment, housing, insurance, military academies, and the command system.

Meanwhile, China has published a dozen military laws and over 100 military regulations.

The military was playing a vital role in fighting poverty and natural disasters, and developing the space industry, the story said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 31, 2002)