By Nie Hongjie, Deng Xiguang, Li Lin and Dong Sisi

BEIJING, Mar. 12 -- The border defense forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) vigorously carried out informatization construction and introduced various scientific and technological applications into border defense control during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), which have greatly promoted the border management and control capability and improved the work and living conditions of border defense troops.

During this year’s two sessions, military deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) from the border and coastal defense forces put forward opinions and suggestions based on their own experience to further strengthen smart border and coastal defense construction.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the military and local governments jointly launched the border defense power grid construction project, thanks to which more than 500 border defense posts are now connected to the national power grid. Microgrid system has been established for remote border defense outposts in plateau regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and islands and reefs that do not meet the conditions to connect the national power grid, helping the border and coastal defense troops gradually realize electrification.

Moreover, the improved construction of communication base stations in their stationed areas makes it easier for service members to contact the families. The enhanced infrastructures have laid a solid foundation to promote the development of border and coastal defense.

Deputy Hou Yun, commander of a border defense regiment under the PLA Tibet Military Command, has been stationed on the plateau for 22 years. He put forward his suggestions on further strengthening border defense infrastructure construction. In order to prepare for this proposal, he had led a patrol team to a 4,000-meters-high mountain to carry out a border patrol mission of more than 80 kilometers just before the two sessions. Reconnaissance and observation equipment, including drones, were brought with them to test the effectiveness for border management and control in a realistic manner.

Deputy Xu Zhongfa from a border defense regiment under the PLA Xinjiang Military Command shared the equipment development that he had seen in the logistics support for the border defense forces. New camouflage uniforms which are warm and light were issued last year. There are also individual tent, combat ration, compound cooked rice, dehydrated vegetables, energy bars, etc. The individual tent integrates functions of tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad and can withstand the low temperature of minus 30 degrees Celsius. After the probation last winter, it has been widely praised. "At present, the service members are satisfied with the quality of materials, the speed of distribution and the overall support constructions," said Xu.

Deputy Hou Shengliang, a professor from the PLA Army Academy of Border and Coastal Defense, said that China has been continuously increasing the border and coastal defense infrastructure investment during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). By now, China has formed a systematic and large-scale construction pattern, which is guided by combat readiness and law enforcement requirements and centered on improvements of the informatization capability. Professor Hou suggested that the smart border and coastal defense construction should be further advanced during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

He also stressed that it is the construction of a comprehensive system rather than just some simple information equipment."It is necessary to innovate the management mechanism, to establish an information platform of joint defense command and management with concerted efforts from party, government, military, police and civilian," said Hou.