PLA calling on soldiers to "use their hearts to spread Marxism-Leninism

["Henry C.K. Liu" <hliu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

What Willy Wo-LAP Lam reports as bad news sounds like very good news to
me.

Henry C.K. Liu

    SCMP     Thursday, April 27, 2000

                   Party launches loyalty drive to guard PLA

                WILLY WO-LAP LAM

                The Communist Party leadership has kicked off a
                loyalty campaign in the PLA to prevent the armed
                forces from succumbing to corruption and Western
                influence.

                An army source said PLA units had, during the past
                month, circulated teachings by President Jiang Zemin on
                ways to ensure that "the quality of the army will not
                deteriorate, and the country will not change colour".

                This was a reference to the fact that if the army ceased

                to be loyal to the Communist Party, the latter would
                face difficulty in thwarting efforts by "hostile foreign

                forces" to turn the mainland into a capitalist country.

                The source said ideological campaigns would be waged
                in army units nationwide to flush out officers and
soldiers
                who failed to satisfy ideological standards fixed by Mr
                Jiang, also head of the Central Military Commission.

                Moreover, anti-graft units in and out of the PLA would
                redouble efforts to nab "big tigers" among army officers

                who reportedly were members of smuggling rings and
                criminal gangs, particularly in coastal areas.

                The Liberation Army Daily yesterday quoted military
                commission vice-chairman General Zhang Wannian as
                telling officers attending an ideology conference to
                "never waver" in studying Marxism and in toeing the line

                that "the party has absolute control over the gun".

                "We must resolutely follow the orders of the party
                central leadership with comrade Jiang Zemin as its
                core," General Zhang reportedly said. "We must
                self-consciously raise the flag high and protect the
                [leadership] core."

                The paper also quoted Defence Minister General Chi
                Haotian as calling on soldiers to "use their hearts to
                spread Marxism-Leninism".

                In language reminiscent of the Cultural Revolution,
                General Chi was quoted as saying: "The wind may blow
                from the east, south, west or north, yet we must take a
                firm grip on truth and never lose it."

                PLA analysts said Mr Jiang and top generals were
                disturbed about disciplinary problems among the ranks,
                particularly corruption and the spread of "cults" such
as
                the Falun Gong.

                They said the leadership was also worried that officers
                would take up Western ideals such as the separation of
                the party and army.

                It is understood individual officers had also resisted
                efforts by Mr Jiang to enforce a strict retirement rule
to
                speed up rejuvenation.