Zhang Lei, a researcher from the General Political Department, said one of the fundamental tasks of the PLA in these new times is to assist with reform and opening-up.

Fifty-eight foreign military attaches and deputy military attaches from more than 50 countries attended yesterday's briefing. Senior officials from the General Political Department reviewed the development of PLA political work and its achievements for the foreign military attaches.

Zhang said an important task of the PLA is to select, cultivate and assign cadres "for the purpose of setting up a team of young cadres with higher learning and professional knowledge and bringing up a great number of talented people to meet the requirements of modern wars particularly under the new high-tech conditions."

Over the past two years the number of military colleges and institutions authorized to award doctoral degrees has increased from 139 to 272, while that of master's degrees has rocketed from 472 to 746. The degrees cover 11 majors including military science, engineering and medical science.

There are now more than 26,000 PhD and MA holders in military science, and more than 100 officers with those higher degrees having taken leading positions at regimental and divisional levels, according to a source with the General Political Department.

Meanwhile, in order to strengthen the armed forces by relying on science and technology, the military has signed agreements on education with more than 50 civilian colleges and institutions of higher learning.

In addition to this briefing, several others have been held since last year as part of the efforts by the Chinese military to open its doors to the international community and to share information on the development of the PLA.

(China Daily October 10, 2002)