China's defense industry should build on its past achievements and make new progress in the new era, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Bangguo said in a letter addressed to a national conference on science, technology and industry for national defense.
Addressing the conference that opened Wednesday in Beijing, Wu, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said China's defense industry has made remarkable achievements in recent years.
He said the technology, the quality of the equipment and the financial status of this sector have improved markedly.
He urged people in this sector to continue to work hard and make greater contributions to China's defense industry in the new era.
According to Liu Jibin, minister of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, China has made enormous progress in the research and manufacture of new and hi-tech weapons in the past five years. In addition, China's defense industry broke even in 2002 after eight consecutive years in the red.
(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2003)
