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China's National Defense in 2008

X. The Armed Forces and the People

Participating in and Supporting National Construction

Under the unified arrangement of the Central People's Government and local people's governments at all levels, the PLA and the PAPF actively participate in all aspects of national construction. In the past two years they have put over 14 million workdays and one million vehicles (or machines)/time into this endeavor.

Providing aid for construction of infrastructure and ecological projects. The PLA and the PAPF have supported over 200 key construction projects for energy, transportation, hydropower and communications. They have taken part in over 170 projects for the protection of the ecological environment at such places as the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River and sources of sandstorms affecting Beijing and Tianjin. They have afforested three million mu (one mu is about 700 sq m) of barren hills, waste land and desolate beaches, and provided aerial protection and maintenance for 24 million mu of forests.

Participating in the building of a new countryside. The PLA and the PAPF provide support for the construction of irrigation and water- conservancy works and rural infrastructure. They have built or repaired over 2,100 roads in poverty-stricken rural areas, and completed over 90,000 small construction projects such as rural hydropower projects, drinking water projects for both people and livestock, and projects for the improvement of small river valley areas. They have also set up or consolidated 25,000 places of contact for poverty reduction, and helped over 80,000 households out of poverty.

Supporting scientific and technological, educational, cultural and health undertakings. The PLA and the PAPF have helped to train nearly 10,000 people in various skills, and set up 240 science and technology demonstration centers. They have built over 200 primary and secondary schools, and helped 240,000 poor students complete their schooling. They have established long-term assistance relations with 470 county or township hospitals in poverty-stricken areas, and dispatched 13,000 medical teams offering free medical consultation and treatment in 41 million cases.

Supporting the economic and social development of areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. The PLA and the PAPF have helped to build or enlarge three airports, five power stations and 12 water conservancy facilities; repair over 900 km of highways; dig 300 wells; and build a total of 6,000 small rainwater cellars, small power stations, solar energy installations and TV transmission facilities.