(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-04 20:47

BEIJING -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday called for greater efforts to be made in the area of unity between the army and the government and between the army and the people.

He issued the call at a national meeting to honor 355 Chinese counties and cities as models in the work of "Shuangyong."

"Shuangyong" is a word used to convey the concept of mutual support, namely that "the government and the people support the military and give preferential treatment to the families of servicemen and martyrs, and the military supports the government and cherishes the people."

Wen said: "It is of extreme importance to consolidate the solidarity between the military and the government and between the military and the people." He noted that doing so would safeguard the country's economic and social development and the building of a modernized armed force.

Wen said that "shuangyong" had long been a good tradition and a unique political advantage for the Party, army and people.

It is an irrefutable truth that "so long as the army and people are united as one, they can defeat any enemy," the premier said.

Wen asked Party organizations and governments at all levels to put this work high on their agenda, strengthen guidance at grassroots levels, and incorporate the concept of "putting people first" into practice.