BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Lawmakers representing the Chinese military have voiced their consensus to promote information technology-supported defense modernization to provide a solid security guarantee for the country's development, under the "absolute leadership" of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

    The lawmakers attending the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, agreed that as troops under the absolute leadership of the CPC, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is not only military forces to win wars and safeguard state security, but also major forces to guarantee the consolidation of the CPC's ruling position.

    "It has great bearing on the interests of the Party and state to resolutely follow the command of the Party's Central Committee,the Central Military Commission (CMC) and CMC Chairman Hu Jintao," said Zhang Wentai, political commissar of the PLA's General Logistics Department, at a panel discussion on the government work report and other major documents of the session, Wednesday.

    The lawmakers from the military also promised they would be well prepared for military struggles, especially when profound changes are witnessed in the international strategic structure and security environment.

    The PLA must adhere to the criterion of combat efficiency and the direction of an integrated development, and persist in taking informationalization as the leading force while advancing mechanization and informationalization simultaneously, said Wang Guosheng, chief of staff of the Lanzhou Military Area Command.

    According to the government's draft budget for this year, China's defense spending would be 12.6 percent more than last year to reach 244.66 billion yuan (29.58 billion US dollars). Enditem