PLA Daily 2005-03-24

　　Independent innovation is the foundation on which we build and rejuvenate our country, and is likewise the inexhaustible driving force for unfettering and promoting the productive forces. Taking an overall view of the development history of the Chinese nation, one will find it a history of the Chinese people in constantly striving to become stronger, rejuvenating the country independently and making innovations. Ancient China stunned the world with the “Four Inventions”. Today, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, we have obtained one after another brilliant achievements such as the “two bombs and one satellite” (i.e. atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb and artificial satellite) and the manned spaceflight of “Shenzhou” V. At present, China's economic and social development has ushered in a very important strategic period, and science and technology is also incubating a new revolution. It is against such a background that the Central Committee of the CPC advanced the topic of uplifting China's ability in independent innovation, which is the requirement of the age for the world development, the strategic demand of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and also the realistic prerequisite of building a well-off society in an all-round way in China, making the country strong and the people rich and realizing the all-round coordinated and sustainable development of the economy and society.

　　Independent innovation is the inevitable course to cope with the challenge of the world revolution in military affairs and to achieve the goal of making the country strong and the army better, and is also a pressing demand of realizing the leapfrog development of modernizing the army and getting ready for military struggle. It can be easily seen from the recent high-tech wars that the level of weaponry development with science and technology taking a dominating role is gradually becoming a key in gaining advantage in future war, while occupying the commanding height of technological and innovative development and building up the independent innovation ability has become a key factor in realizing the aim of strengthening the army with science and technology and in getting fully prepared for military struggle. In nowadays when the international military competition is getting fiercer and fiercer, if military modernization construction of the army and the preparedness for military struggle still follow the conventional ways of doing things, following a stereotype routine and with no intention of practicing independent innovation, it will be hard to dust off the passive and backward situation and unlikely to realize the leapfrog development. Therefore, only by strengthening the sense of mission and the sense of urgency, and seeking for development and breakthrough through independent innovation, can we take possession of the dominant position and initiative in the high tide of world revolution in military affairs, accomplish the dual historical tasks of mechanization and informationization and realize leapfrog development in the modernization drive of the army.

　　By Sun Xianli

　　(Mar. 24, PLA Daily)