Military backs Hu's call for party to retain PLA control

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Friday got the backing of the country's powerful military for his call to retain the supremacy of the Communist Party over the army, measures to speed up defence modernisation and the war against corruption.

Senior generals of the People's Liberation Army supported the keynote report by Hu at the opening of the 18th National Congress of Communist Party of China saying that the principle of the party's absolute leadership over the armed forces must be unwaveringly adhered to.

Under Chinese administrative structure, the PLA is part of the CPC and virtually functioned under its command. Party officials rejected suggestion that the military should be separated from the party like all over world bring it under the control of the government.

Hu's report is a great achievement of the party's theoretical innovations and serves as a guide to action for completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, Gen Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of the China's powerful central military commission, said while speaking at a panel discussion of the Congress.

Hu, who is general secretary of the CPC, is also the chairman of the commission, which controlled the 2.3 million strong Chinese military. Speculation is that he is expected to continue even after relinquishing the presidency later this year.

Gen Guo said the military should intensively study and apply Hu's thinking on the development of national defence and the armed forces under new conditions, adhere to the principle of the party's absolute leadership over the armed forces more voluntarily and push forward military preparedness more effectively, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

In the same discussion, another top military official Gen Xu Caihou called the 18th CPC National Congress a "milestone," noting Hu's inspiring report demonstrates the party's political confidence and determination, and the scientific outlook on development supplies the armed forces with "a powerful theoretical weapon."

The PLA and the armed police force should firmly follow the party's leadership in united ideology and action to accelerate the modernisation of the national defence and the armed forces, Xu said.

Attending the discussion, Gen Fan Changlong said the 18th CPC National Congress is an important meeting being held when China enters a decisive stage of completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Gen Xu Qiliang said in the discussion that Hu's report serves as guidance to action of winning new victory for socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The armed forces must study and implement the decisions of the Congress and take it as the top political task at present and a strategic mission for the future, he said.