Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), on February 23 met with delegates to the Army's Working Conference on military students to study abroad. He stressed training and bringing up large batches of highly qualified new military personnel is an urgent need for strengthening quality construction of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the key to comprehensively enhancing the combat effectiveness of the PLA.
Participating in the meeting included Hu Jintao, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese vice-president and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Jiang Zemin said sending military personnel to study abroad is an important decision made by the Central Military Commission which has its eyes on the world's military development and the requirements of our army's modernization drive. Learning from the advanced technology and management expertise of foreign countries and foreign armies is a fine tradition of our Party and our army. The experience of military students studying abroad is very useful for leading cadres to broaden their horizon and augment their knowledge. Developing the work relating to military student studying abroad has enhanced the mutual understanding between the Chinese Army and its foreign counterparts, propelled exchanges between China and related countries and expanded our army's influence. Practice has proved that the work of sending military personnel to study abroad has been very fruitful and is of great significance.
Jiang pointed out that with the extensive application of high and new technologies in the military area and the rapid development of worldwide military changes, profound changes have taken place in the form of war and the means and pattern of operations. Knowledge has increasingly become the leading factor of fighting capacity, the contest of war is manifested strikingly in the contest of talented people. Sending military students to study abroad is an important channel for strengthening the training of military personnel. It is hoped that participants in the meeting would emancipate their minds, seize the opportunity and strive to elevate the work of sending military personnel to study abroad to a new level.
Jiang emphasized that PLA general departments and other departments concerned should strengthen leadership and incorporate this work into the overall planning for the construction of army personnel, and carefully plan, organize and carry out this work. It is necessary to formulate relevant policy systems, adopt necessary measures, properly arrange and use the returned students and give full play to their roles. State departments concerned should give all-out support and take active coordinate actions for the work of sending military personnel to study abroad.
The Army's Working Conference on Military Personnel Studying Abroad was held in Beijing on February 22. The main tasks of the conference were to sum up the experiences gained since 1996 in the work of military personnel studying abroad, report on and display some of the achievements gained in this work, study and plan future tasks and further expedite the sustained and in-depth development of the work of sending military personnel to study abroad.
(People's Daily February 25, 2002)
