Xi stresses integrated military, civilian development

2017-09-23
Xinhua

BEIJING — President Xi Jinping called for stronger reform, innovation and resource integration to improve integrated military and civilian development on Sept 22.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the second plenary session of the Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian Development, which he also heads.

The session adopted a plan for the development of defense science, technology and industry during the 13th Five-Year-Plan period (2016-2020), and guidelines on advancing integrated military and civilian development in defense science, technology and industry.

Also adopted were guidelines on advancing highly integrated military and civilian development in military logistics during the 13th Five-Year-Plan period, and a draft regulation on management of economic projects that are closely related to national defense.

Defense science, technology and industry are key areas for integrated military and civilian development, and play a vital role in boosting the country’s innovation-driven development and supply-side structural reform, according to a statement released after the meeting.

It stressed independent innovation to ensure China can independently produce core products and own key defense technologies.

The meeting called for reform in defense science, technology and industry to break institutional barriers and create a fair environment for competition.

The statement underscored that the military must give up the traditional mindset of building a closed logistics system.

It said that new technologies such as cloud computing, big data and the internet of things should be applied to make logistics more efficient.

The military must also use its advantage in storage, medical service and emergency rescue to serve the people, it said.

According to the statement, ensuring that major infrastructure projects shall meet defense requirement must be a priority in pursuing integrated military and civilian development.

It called for intensive research to draw up a reform plan for integrated military and civilian development.

Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan and Zhang Gaoli, who are all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the commission, attended the meeting.