President Hu Jintao (4th L) talks with local people during an inspection tour in China's Shanxi Province July 29, 2005. Hu made the inspection tour in Shanxi Province ahead of the 60th anniversary of the victory of China's Anti-Japanese War.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, President Hu extended high respects to veteran anti-Japanese soldiers, militiamen and support-the-front model workers, and expressed holiday greetings to all officers and men of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police.

On the occasions of commemorating the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently went to Shanxi Province on an inspection tour, where he visited anti-Japanese sites and recalled heroic achievements. On behalf of the Party Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission, Hu Jintao extended high respects to veteran anti-Japanese fighters, old militiamen and old support-the-front model workers, and holiday greetings to all officers and soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police. Hu Jintao emphasized that the great national spirit displayed by the Chinese nation in the anti-Japanese war remains to this date a strong force inspiring us in our courageous advance. Under new historical conditions, we should inherit our glorious tradition, carry forward our national spirit, work hard to make our country strong, engage in exploration and make progress and unite in the struggle to build a well-off society in an all-round way and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Shanxi in July is green and luxuriant and overflowing with vigor and vitality. From July 29 to 31, Hu Jintao, accompanied by Zhang Baoshun, secretary of the Shanxi provincial Party committee, and YuYoujun, acting provincial governor, went in succession to Changzhi, Jinzhong, Taiyuan and other places on inspections. Hu paid special visits to the 8th Route Army Taihang Memorial Hall, the 8th Route Army Headquarters Wang Jiayu Site, and went deep into farming houses and fields in villages, enterprise workshops and infrastructure construction sites, carrying out investigations and studies on implementation of the scientific development concept and promotion of socio-economic development.

In the 8th Route Army Taihang Memorial Hall and at the 8th Route Army Headquarters Wang Jiayu Site, Hu Jintao looked carefully at the large theme exhibition that "reflects glory of the Taihang spirit of all ages", with deep reverence he visited the formers residences of Deng Xiaoping, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Liu Bocheng, Zuo Quan and other revolutionaries of the older generation, where he had cordial meetings with representatives of local veteran anti-Japanese fighters, old militiamen and old support-the-front model workers. Hu pointed out that in the unprecedented, extremely hard and bitter anti-Japanese war 60 years ago, the entire Chinese people, united closely under the banner of the anti-Japanese national united front established on the initiative of the CPC, waged the sublime and heroic struggle against the ferocious Japanese aggressors, they advanced wave upon wave, fought bloody battles, and finally won great victory at tremendous national expenses. Today, as we solemnly commemorate the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people's anti-Japanese war, we mean to declare to the world our strong will to bear history firmly in mind, do not forget the past, treasure peace and create a bright future, and that we carry forward the great national spirit, further enhance national self-respect, self-confidence and the sense of pride of all Chinese sons and daughters, jointly push forward the glorious cause of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and, together with the people of various countries around the world, work for the noble cause of peace and development of humankind.

Hu Jintao showed great concern for agricultural development and increase in farmers' incomes. In the Wangjiazhuang Village and Nanliangzhuang Village of Nanzheng Township, Pingyao County, Jinzhong City, Hu Jintao had an on-the-spot inspection of the growth of food grain, vegetables and fruit trees, inquired in detail about the development of local agricultural industrialization and got to know directly from villagers about implementation of the central government's policies on supporting agriculture and benefiting farmers. Hu stressed the need, in compliance with the requirements of balanced development of urban and rural areas, to exert greater effort and devote more energy to doing a better job relating to the three rural issues (agriculture, farmer and village), giving full play to cities' role in radiating and promoting rural areas, and the industry's role in supporting and feeding agriculture, so as to propel a sound socio-economic interaction and common development of urban and rural areas. Earnest efforts should be made to properly grasp food production, promote a sustained and rapid growth in farmers' incomes, accelerate the development of rural social undertakings, strive to realize a steady increased production of food and sustained growth in farmers' incomes, so as to bring about an all-round socio-economic development in rural areas.

Promoting economic structural adjustment and transformation of economic growth mode is also a focus of Hu's present inspection tour. He paid visits to the Taiyuan Iron and Steel (Group) Co. Ltd., the Taiyuan No.1 Machine Tools Plant, the Taiyuan Aviation Instrument Co. Ltd., the Zhangshan Power-Generation Co. Ltd., the Luoke Guihua Industry Co. Ltd. for investigations and studies. Hu stressed the need to unswervingly follow the new-type industrialization road, earnestly place the focus of work on adjusting the economic structure, transforming the mode of growth, deepening systemic reform and promoting coordinated development. It is imperative to intensify efforts for adjustment of industrial structure, vigorously enhance independent innovative capability, firmly grasp the work of energy resources conservation, further deepen systemic reform, so as to realize an all-round, coordinated socio-economic sustainable development.

At the end of the inspection, Hu Jintao listened to the work report given by Shanxi provincial Party committee and the provincial government and fully affirmed the new achievements scored by Shanxi Province in its reform and development.

Hu pointed out that the fundamental aim of building a harmonious socialist society is to create a favorable social environment for China's socio-economic development, for the peaceful and contented work and life of the masses and for the long-term peace and stability of the country. It is essential to do a good job of showing concern for the production and life of the masses, try by every possible means to expand employment, perfect the social security system, ensure safety production, maintain social stability, conscientiously realize, safeguard and develop the fundamental interests of the broadest section of the people and fully mobilize the people's enthusiasm and initiative in maintaining and promoting the general situation of reform, development and stability.

During the inspection tour, Hu Jintao also met with leading members of the Military Area Command the People's Armed Police in Shanxi Province.

Published on the front page of People's Daily overseas Edition, august 1, the article is translated by People's Daily Online