The General Political Department of the PLA held a meeting in Beijing yesterday to proclaim the establishment of the PLA Art Steering Committee. Li Jinai, member of the Central Military Commission and director of the General Political Department, wrote a congratulatory letter for the establishment of the committee.

　　To meet the needs of advanced culture construction and to promote the full development of military art in the army, the General Political Department decided to establish the PLA Art Steering Committee. The first 61 members of the committee are writers and artists including both older generations of cultural and art workers who joined the PLA in the Chinese revolutionary war periods and yang and middle-aged outstanding talents growing up in the new era of China's reform and opening up to the outside world. They enjoy wide reputation both inside and outside the military circle and are the mainstay in the culture and art field of the army. The committee consists of nine groups of experts covering literature, fine arts and calligraphy, film and TV, theatre, music, dance, folk arts and mini-plays, acrobatics and stage art. The main tasks of the committee are to participate in the planning, argumentation, consultation and decision-making of important cultural and literature activities, major performances, key projects of the army; to guide and help military cultural and art units with their creation of important programs; recommend, select and cultivate cultural and art talents, carry out research, discussion and evaluation on the trend of literature and art creations as well as outstanding works. The term of office of the committee is two years.

　　By Bian Zhen

　　(Mar. 3, PLA Daily)