National defense building must serve the overall situation of economic construction and make a greater contribution to the cause of building a well-off society in an all-around way, stressed Jiang Zemin, chairman of the Central Military Commission, at the plenary meeting of the PLA delegation to the first session of the 10th National People's Congress, which concluded last month.The army should carefully study and develop a deeper understanding of Jiang's important speech and carry it forward in the national defense building.

"Overall situation" refers to the central work of the Party and the country. To serve the overall situation means that the army should strive for the accomplishment of the Party's central task under the absolute leadership of the Party.

It is essential for the Party to give top priority to the development and rejuvenation of our country. Because national defense building and economic construction complement each other, the country should focus on the central task of economic construction and make efforts to raise its economic strength. Only through economic construction can all objectives, including the modernization of national defense, be achieved and problems be solved. Economic construction is also the key to safeguarding the sovereignty and the safety of the nation. On the other hand, the modernization of national defense constitutes an important part of China's modernization construction. While national defense will provide a guarantee for economic development and national security, it must be planned and implemented under the framework of　the national development.

The country has achieved a coordinated development of national defense and economic construction in the past 20 years, which serves as an essential and important experience for the nation and the army. National defense building and military modernization should be boosted on the basis of economic development and the army should carry forward that valuable experience.

Now, China has entered a new era of accelerating the socialist modernization. The whole nation, including the army, should grasp the important strategic opportunities in the initial 20 years of this century, focus its strength on economic construction and put its heart into economic development.

The army should have a deep understanding of the significance of the army's subjection to and serving the overall situation of the work of the Party and the nation, and handle correctly the relationship between national defense building and economic construction. The army should also seek the unity of thinking and action according to the overall situation.

To act under the overall situation, the army should guide officers and men to firmly support reform, opening-up and modernization construction and to actively make　contributions to the cause of building a well-off society in an all-round way.

After the 16th Party congress, all units of the army launched a campaign to study and implement the important thought of the "Three Represents" and to make contributions to the cause of building a well-off society in an all-round way. They have achieved a lot in this regard. The army should carry on this campaign, taking the practical situation of reform and construction both in national economy and the army into consideration.

By performing an ideological and political education, officers and men should enhance the consciousness of serving the overall situation and firmly support and fully implement the guidelines, doctrines and policies put forward by the 16th Party Congress. They should understand the adjustment of various interests and closely follow the pace of reform, development and construction. In addition, they should inherit and carry forward the excellent tradition of the people's army and make more contributions to economic construction and social development.

In recent years, the army has actively taken part in economic construction and made great contributions to the modernization of our country. The army should continue to play an active part in the construction of key state projects, poverty relief, disaster rescue, ecological and environmental improvement, and, in particular, the program for developing the western region.

To act under the overall situation, the army should bear its fundamental duties and functions in mind, remain vigilant in times of peace and provide a firm guarantee for national security and in building a well-off society in an all-round way.

To provide a guarantee for building a well-off society in an all-round way, the army bears great and significant responsibilities. It should provide education for its officers and men on fundamental duties and functions and on current situations and tasks; all the servicepersons should enhance a sense of urgency, a sense of function and a sense of mission. The army should serve as a firm supporter, an active practicer and a loyal protector of the cause of building a well-off society in an all-round way.

Through ideological education and scientific management, the army should guarantee the stability and unity of its own and the stability of the society. It should also help to create a sound environment for China's reform and development. The army should target high efficiency in both national defense and the army building with limited financial and material support.

Furthermore, the army should strive to raise standards for national defense and army building, try to make the national defense building and the modernization construction of the country keep the same pace, meet requirements of safeguarding the country's fundamental interests and fit in with China's growing stature in international affairs.

The army should make every possible preparation for the military struggle and boost military changes with Chinese characteristics. It should enhance its combat capability and loyally perform missions entrusted by the Party and the people.

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