The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) will now play a greater role in the country's poverty-alleviation campaign as part of the central government's efforts to build a prosperous and harmonious socialist society, according to a new circular jointly released by the State Council and the PLA.

Responding to the call by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council, the Army has made a contribution to poverty-elimination in various forms for years, says the circular.

It urges local governments at all levels to make the military one of the major forces in the campaign and utilizing their advantages so as to speed up the pace towards the realization of the goal in the new stage of poverty-alleviation campaign.

The Army should cooperate with villages to develop cultural, educational, medical and economic undertakings, so as to create a stable environment for building a harmonious society, the document says.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2005)