This year marks the 97th Anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
As a people’s armed force founded by the the Communist Party of China (CPC), since its foundation, the PLA had bravely devoted itself into the historical torrent of seeking liberation and happiness for Chinese people and independence and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation.
In its 97 years, always holding high the banner of the CPC, the people’s armed force grew and strengthened in battles, inheritance and construction. It went through the smoke and flames of war and overcame various obstacles along the way. It always dares to fight and win, unites and strives, produces talented people, strives to be pure and glorious and maintains strict laws and regulations. It looks back on the journey with passion and looks forward to the future with confidence.
Standing at the new historical starting point, the people’s armed force will be under the guidance of President Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military, take on its original aspiration and mission with bravery, succeed in its historical test with loyalty and pace towards a new era and a new journey with perseverance.
Anchoring the mission of strengthening the military, forging the world-class forces
A strong country must have a strong military, and only with a strong military can a country enjoy peace and safety.
After the party’s 18th National Congress, the PLA comprehensively implemented Xi’s thinking on strengthening the military, implemented the Military Strategic Guideline for a New Era, stuck to the principle of the party’s absolute leadership over the army, continued to enhance the political loyalty of the armed force, strengthened it through reform and technology, ran it in accordance with the law, comprehensively promoted its strategic capabilities in emerging fields, forged ahead bravely towards the grand target of transforming the people’s armed force into world-class force, all to safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests with greater capability and more reliable measures.
Safeguarding world peace, taking on the responsibility of the armed force of a big country
China’s armed forces faithfully implements the idea of a “community with a shared future for mankind” and provides more public security goods for the international community.
Since 1990, China’s armed force, who is hailed by the international community as a key factor and force in peacekeeping operations, has sent almost 50 000 peacekeepers to UN peacekeeping missions in more than 20 countries and regions.
As of June 2024, China’s armed force has sent more than 46 batches of naval ships to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the coast of Somalia, safely escorting more than 7 290 Chinese and foreign ships in more than 1 640 batches. China’s armed force has turned the dangerous waters into a golden waterway through its actions. China always adheres to the defensive National Defence Policy, no matter how it might develop. China will never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence and will forever play a steadfast role for the peace and stability of humankind.
Committing to the idea of shared destiny, deepening bilateral relations between China and South Africa
Even though China and South Africa are geographically far apart, the two countries and their militaries had established profound friendship in the early years during the South African liberations.
In recent years, under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Cyril Ramaphosa, the military relations between China and South Africa enjoyed a steady development, the practical co-operation between the two deepening.
There are developments in high-level exchanges, co-operation mechanism construction, joint exercises, logistics support, military health and international peacekeeping. The military relations between the two countries are at their best in history and have become an important support of the China-South African Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Nowadays, the world is changing, history is unfolding in a unprecedented way and humankind is once more standing at a crossroads. As a responsible big country, China resolutely upholds the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, is committed to the path of peaceful development and has always been the builder of world peace, contributor to global development and defender of international order.
As a military for peace, China’s armed force would like to work with the global forces for peace, including the SANDF, in the spirit of building community with a shared future for mankind, to deliver on the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilisation Initiative and strive for a better world of lasting peace and security.
Major General Shang Hong is Defence Attache Of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of South Africa.
The Star