China trains tech-savvy servicemen

Petty Officer Cui Guoqiang studies computer science not in a university classroom, but in his barracks.

He logs on the "Training and Service System for Officers and Soldiers," an Intranet training system designed to allow the People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers to keep up their studies while in service.

The 24-year-old Cui graduated from a college before joining a motorized infantry regiment in northwestern Xinjiang Military Command Area. He said he hopes to earn a living after demobilization by capitalizing on the education he's received through the training system.

The PLA has been embracing information technology in all ways of its work, so that soldiers in grassroots units can use computers connecting with the military Intranet in their dormitories, or the Internet in Internet cafes inside barracks.

Zhang Qianli, head of the political department of an infantry division, said that the system, developed by the Lanzhou Military Command Area, can provide a variety of online services for officers and soldiers, including education and military training.

The system allows service people to create detailed study plans and schedules, helping them organize multiple courses and training sessions. In addition to computer science, Cui uses the system to study English and law.