Wang Yaru, a 2017 HNU alumna, was elected deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC).

Wang Yaru: Today, I am much honored to report to President Xi my proposal on strengthening national defense education and raising national defense awareness at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Taking this opportunity, I call on aspiring and progressive young people to join the national defense forces, so as to increase the national defense capabilities of our country.

Wang Yaru, deputy from the PLA and Armed Police Forces: Strengthening National Defense Education to Raise National Defense Awareness

By Journalists Wang Yun, Sun Zhiying, Yu Yaqian and Correspondent Zhang Xiaohe from China Military Online

NPC deputy Wang Yaru in front of the Great Hall of the People. [Photo by Sun Zhiying from China Military Online]

“Yaru is so admirable and charming! I want to join the army in the future like her!”

“My dear, you’d better aspire to go to a military academy rather than to be enlisted just as a soldier”

During the Spring Festival holiday, Wang Yaru, an NPC deputy and member of China’s Marine Corps, was stunned by a casual conversation between her relatives. For her part, to be a soldier means to protect the country, to fight or even sacrifice for the motherland when needed , but not just to pursue a decent and well-paid job.

The women’s team in Marine Corps has a fine tradition, maintaining a good relationship with many schools and orphanages. Last year, Wang and her teammates made a video conversation with children from a primary school funded by Project Hope, sharing with the kids stories about their training and daily life. On the screen, Wang saw the longing hearts in the children’s eyes, and felt how excited these kids were. Many children said that they would join the army after they grow up.

Wang Yaru and her teammates were conducting cabin search training. [Photo by Zhang Ningshi]

Inspired by that, Wang finds it imperative to strengthen national defense education among young people. “The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that national defense education should be deepened. Although we have carried out some campaigns and yielded some visible results, there is still a lot to be improved. For that to happen, we cannot breathe a sigh of relief before wrapping up this long-term task. During this year’s Two Sessions (the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), I concerned much about strengthening national defense education and raising national defense awareness,” said Wang.

Wang believes that more activities concerning national defense education with patriotism as its core need to be organized by integrating some special military culture, so as to improve the public’s admiration for military. The army can provide some guidance to local governments with some targeted supporting plans to popularize national defense education. With the unique resources in army, we should let general public to experience the life in army by participating in activities like Military Open Day, Online Military Movie, Online Interaction, etc.. Moreover, military cultural corridors need to be built in parks, highlighting the theme of national defense, showcasing the national defense culture and creating atmospheres of national defense education, so as to sow the seeds of national defense in the minds of the general public.

“Ordinary soldiers also has an unique role to play in the army,” Wang said. The college students serving in the military can improve their recognition on military spirit, and finally decide to stay in the army. Relevant regulations and policies need to be improved to keep these college students in the army, especially those with highly specialized skills.

Wang is such a demanding NPC deputy that she tries to “visit more places so as to find more problems and propose more solutions to these problems”. She hopes that she can help make the voices of grass-root officers heard and address their needs. To this end, she works very hard to continuously improve her ability, and bring her role as a NPC deputy to full play.

(Source: China Military Online, March 9th, 2023)