China on Tuesday started military training courses for a group of Party leaders from north China in a bid to improve the Party's leadership of its armed forces and its relationship with local troops.

The local leaders involved are about 50 secretaries of the prefecture committees of the Communist Party of China from Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi and Hebei provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Top Party leaders at provincial, prefectural and city level in China usually hold the title of first secretary of the troops stationed in their region, a ceremonial post designed to highlight the Party's political leadership of the army.

Sources with the Beijing Military Area Command said training includes lectures on military use of high technology, emerging military reform, information warfare, struggles against terrorism, shooting practice, observing military performance and inspection of high-tech weapons and equipment.

The move was designed to enable regional leaders to understand current military development trends characterized by use of high technology, improve their awareness of national defense, and further promote the building of reserves forces for national defense.

Sources with the Headquarters of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army of China said local leaders appointed first Party secretaries of local troops in other parts of the country will also receive similar military training.

(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2003)