China's military offers 'contributions'

By Willy Wo-Lap Lam
CNN.com Senior China Analyst

HONG KONG, China -- Senior generals have vowed to make major contributions to building the economy and maintaining the Communist Party's "absolute authority."

Various People's Liberation Army officers have talked to the state media after Beijing on Tuesday announced a whopping 17.7 per cent budget boost for the 2.5 million-strong army.

Speaking at the fringe of the National People's Congress (NPC), Chief of the General Logistics Department General Wang Ke said the PLA would "self-consciously serve the larger goal of national economic construction."

"We shall fully develop the superior conditions of the logistics department and take part in the development of the western regions," said Wang, referring to Beijing's ambitious program to jump-start the economies of 11 backward provinces and regions.

"We shall make new contributions to the nation's economic construction."

Added General Tan Huasheng, a vice-commander of the Sichuan Military District: "The troops are duty-bound to take part in and help the develop-the-west scheme. It will help maintain the unity of different nationalities."

In his speech to PLA deputies to the NPC, Chief of Staff General Fu Quanyou pledged that the military forces would remain under the "absolute leadership" of the party.

The official Liberation Army Daily quoted Fu as saying "the nature [of the PLA] will never deteriorate." This is a reference to the possibility that the army may be corrupted by commercialism as well as ideas from the West.

General Fu indicated the army had a role to play in "safeguarding the leadership authority of the party." The top general also talked at length on what the army could do in fighting the Falun Gong sect and underground criminal gangs as well as in thwarting separatist movements in Tibet and Xinjiang.

A strong army

Western military experts said apart from strategic reasons such as Taiwan, the leadership of President Jiang Zemin needed a strong army to maintain internal order and to buttress the party's authority.

"Jiang has to satisfy the top brass' demands for a bigger budget in return for securing the political support of the army," a Western military analyst said.

"While the PLA has helped the national economy in areas such as infrastructure building, the army has also benefited from civilian sectors, particularly hi-tech research and development."

Army sources in Beijing said Jiang had poured more resources into the para-military People's Armed Police (PAP), which is instrumental in maintaining law and order in the cities.

However, there was no mention of the budget for the PAP in Finance Minister Xiang Huaicheng's report to the NPC.

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