The People's Daily (August 15) published an article by Liu Guoshun of the Political Work Bureau, National Defense Mobilization Department, Central Military Commission, on the PLA's recruitment policy. He said to fulfil Xi Jinping's goal of a strong army to ensure national security it is necessary to recruit high-quality soldiers who "are a valuable strategic resource for strengthening the country and rejuvenating the army". He said there can be a reliable guarantee only by continuously recruiting high-quality soldiers into the barracks, sending "fresh blood" for strengthening the country and rejuvenating the army. For this it is important to do a good job in recruiting. Liu Guoshun added that the two groups of college students and college graduates have gradually become the focus of the recruitment, and their recruitment ratio has been increasing. At the same time, the PLA "will increase the direct recruitment of officers and noncommissioned officers, conduct targeted recruitment for urgently needed majors in the army, and focus on recruiting those who have obtained university diplomas and nationally recognized vocational skills certificates of senior workers or above". He disclosed the current conscription work is shifting from seasonal and phased to full-year and regular. "The implementation of two conscriptions and two decommissions a year is an important strategic measure for in-depth implementation and deepening of national defense and military reforms, and an important component of military policy and system reforms". It is necessary to deepen national defense education, carry out conscription propaganda, and "build a bridge from society to the military camp for young people of the right age, and provide a broad platform for making contributions to the military camp". He pointed out that since the 18th Party Congress "a series of laws and policies concerning the status and rights of soldiers have been intensively promulgated, and the supporting facilities have been improved, making soldiers a profession respected by the whole society". He said "We must publicize and implement these favorable policies and regulations well" for recruiting high-quality soldiers.