BEIJING, March 11 (Xinhuanet) -- Jiang Zemin, chairman of Central Military Commission (CMC), called on the country's armed forces to get fully aware of the changing situation, accelerate the pace of modernization, perform their sacred mission of safeguarding state security and national unification, raise the level of a regular army and provide a powerful backing to the nationwide efforts to fight for the goal of building a well-off society in all aspects and opening up a new situation in building socialism with distinct Chinese characteristics.

　　 Jiang made the call at a panel discussion with a group of NPC deputies representing the country's armed forces during the ongoing Second Session of the Tenth National People's Congress (NPC). President Hu Jintao was present at the discussion in the capacity of CMC vice-chairman.

　　 After lavishing praises on the armed forces for the outstanding achievements over the past year, Jiang Zemin encouraged the armed forces to make new contributions to modernizing the army, safeguarding state security and national unification and building a well-off society in all aspects with a high sense of political responsibility and in high spirit in 2004, which, he said, is crucial in performing the Tenth Five-Year Plan.

　　 "It is a strategic decision of major importance to push the reform of the armed forces, a decision taken after an analysis of all aspects of the international strategic situation and China's security and with an eye to take up the challenges of new accelerating military changes in the world," Jiang said. "It is a profound revolution in the development of our armed forces. We must seize the hard-to-get historical opportunities and bring the reform into depth with a sense of immediacy."

　　 He reiterated that the reform of the armed forces should be carried out under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents".

　　 He urged the armed forces to apply information technology in all possible areas and plan and push modernization of the army from a new starting point and accelerate the pace of mechanizing the army and applying information technology in the light of the laws governing modern warfare.

　　 He stressed the critical roles of professional personnel, urging the whole army to study politics and military knowledge and modern technology in order to improve the general quality of officers and men, adding that high-ranking officers must, in particular, have the sense of urgency in study and in raising their abilities of commanding an army armed with information technology and modern warfare characterized by information technology.

Jiang Zemin (L), chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC), speaks at a panel discussion with the NPC deputies representing the country's armed forces to the Second Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 11, 2004. Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) was present at the discussion in the capacity of CMC vice-chairman.

Jiang Zemin (4th from left, far row), chairman of the Chinese Central Military Commission (CMC), and Hu Jintao(4th from right, far row), CMC vice chairman, are present at a panel discussion with the NPC deputies representing the country's armed forces to the Second Session of the 10th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, March 11, 2004.