Chinese military is always a staunch force in safeguarding world peace - in celebration of the 94th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China
2021-07-30 16:07

 

August 1st this year marks the 94th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army of China. Founded and commanded by Communist Party of China, the PLA has been closely linked to the Party, firmly advancing under the banner of the Party, and unswervingly following the development pace of the Party and the people. The PLA has come a long way through wars and hardships, and made indelible contribution to the liberation of the nation, the development of socialism and the cause of reforms, shining its history with glorious victories and splendid achievements in safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Standing at the historical intersection of the Two Centenary Goals, guided by Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military, the PLA is stepping up its efforts to fully transform into a world-class military, continuing to provide strategic support for consolidating the leadership of the CPC and the socialist system, safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, protecting China's overseas interests, and promoting world peace and development.

The Chinese nation has always advocated peace and opposed militarism. Since modern times, the Chinese people have suffered much from aggressions and wars, thereby cherishing more the value of peace. Since its founding more than 70 years ago, the People's Republic of China has never started any war or provoked any conflict. The PLA has never taken by force an inch of land from any other country. Moreover, China voluntarily reduced the size of its armed forces several times, and signed and joined dozens of multilateral treaties on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. It is not by engaging in military expansion or colonial plunder that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world's second largest economy. The development of China's national defence aims to meet its rightful security needs. In the past 30 years, its defence expenditures accounted for less than 2% of GDP, lower than the global average of 2.6%. Though a country may become strong, bellicosity will lead to its ruin. China will unswervingly pursue a national defence policy that is defensive in natur, never follow the beaten track of previous powers seeking hegemony. No matter how it might develop, China will never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence.

The PLA is a staunch force for world peace, stability and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Committed to the principle of win-win cooperation, the PLA will fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations, and provide more public security goods to the international community to the best of its capacity. For UN peacekeeping operations, China is the second largest contributor to both peacekeeping fund and UN membership fees, and the largest troop-contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, sending over 40,000 military peacekeepers to nearly 30 UN peacekeeping missions, where 16 warriors have sacrificed their lives. Chinese peacekeeping troops have expanded their composition from single service to multiple military branches, enabling Chinese peacekeepers to perform diverse tasks in addition to enabling functions, also extending the objectives of China's peacekeeping efforts beyond conflict prevention to building lasting peace. For securing the international maritime routes, PLA has dispatched naval ships to carry out regular vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the coast of Somalia. Since December 2008, 38 convoys, each consisting of three to four ships, and more than 30,000 soldiers, have carried out vessel protection operations, providing security protection for nearly 7,000 ships, with more than half of the escorted being foreign or WFP ships. For countering terrorism, China actively holds bilateral consultations with relevant countries, strengthens multilateral cooperation within the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and conducts joint counter-terrorism exercises and exchanges. Moreover, as the armed forces of a responsible power, PLA takes an active part in the international humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Military professionals are dispatched to conduct disaster relief operations in affected countries, providing relief materials and medical aid. For example, the PLA Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark has visited 43 countries and regions, having provided medical services to over 230,000 people.

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, PLA has faithfully implemented the concept of building a community of common health for mankind proposed by President Xi Jinping, and in an effort to protect the health and life of people all over the world, has deepened cooperation with foreign militaries in Covid-19 prevention and control, making important contributions to the building of a community of common health for mankind. So far, PLA has provided assistance materials including face masks and ventilators to militaries of over 50 countries such as Mozambique, Serbia, Cuba and Laos, provided dozens of batches of Covid-19 vaccine to militaries of 23 countries such as Philippines and Tunisia,sent medic expert teams to 4 countries such as Cambodia and Pakistan, and held on-line experience sharing meetings with international organizations and militaries of nearly 20 countries such as Russia and Singapore, contributing positive energy to the joint efforts of the international community in combating the rampant pandemic.

As President Xi Jinping points out, China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and an upholder of the international order. Chinese military has always been a staunch force in safeguarding world peace. Looking ahead, the PLA will continue to advocate common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, perform the international duties which are required of the military of a big country, and make greater contribution to the building of lasting peace and universal security. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Sauli Niinistö, China and Finland have established a future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership, and pragmatic cooperation in various fields has continued to deepen, ushering in new development opportunities for the relationship between the two militaries. It is highly expected that the two militaries continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and jointly write a new chapter on safeguarding world peace and stability, and building a community with a shared future for mankind!

 

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