BEIJING - "A powerful national defense is fundamental for the nation to be self-reliant and self-improve." "Safeguard our maritime rights and build up a marine power."

These are two of the 100 slogans recently issued by the State Defense Education Office (SDEO) for creating greater awareness among the public on the issue of national defense, Tang Fen, director of the SDEO, said on Friday.

The office issued 80 slogans of the same kind in 2003, and they "played an important role in strengthening defense education," Tang told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Beijing.

This time, the SDEO asked local governments at different levels to publicize the slogans via traditional and new media, so as to make the public take note of the importance of national defense.

The whole set of 100 slogans will be published on the official websites of the Ministry of Defense, the Xinhua News Agency, the SDEO, the PLA Daily, along with the "National Defense Education" magazine.