BEIJING: The PLA is a well-known abbreviation, standing for the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese military. It also stands for another characteristic of the armed forces: a “peace-loving army”.
The unique expression was featured in a bilingual promotional video recalling the military’s 32-year peacekeeping history and received millions of thumbs-up on Chinese social media on Sept 3, the day that marked the 77th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45) and the World Anti-Fascist War.
The broad appreciation for the video shows that the pursuit of peace is ingrained in the nation and that the Chinese people care about the well-being of humanity. President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that the Chinese army will always be a staunch force in efforts to maintain world peace. Experts and front-line peacekeepers have echoed Xi, saying that the Chinese military, which firmly pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, has always stood for peace and justice, a belief that has been supported by concrete actions.
As China honors its responsibilities as a major country, its armed forces will actively promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, fulfill its international obligations and strive for a better world with lasting peace and common security, they said.
Such missions are outlined in Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, which espouses the latest development of the Party’s military philosophy and explores what kind of armed forces should be developed to better respond to the realities of the new era and what steps should be taken to build such forces.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
