August 1st, 2022 marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China. 95 years ago, the Communist Party of China created a new type of people’s army, which provided a strong guarantee for the realization of independence and great rejuvenation of China. From that time on, the PLA has bravely devoted itself to the historical trend of seeking liberation and happiness for the Chinese people, and striving for independence and rejuvenation for China. Over the past 95 years, the PLA has gone through wars and fires, opened up a way through brambles and thorns and made great sacrifices, chalked up one victory after another, and established historical feats.
In recent years, the PLA of China upholds Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, firmly and thoroughly implements Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the armed forces, march forward on the strategic arrangement of Three Steps to Modernize China’s National Defense and Military, ensure the realization of the Chinese army’s centennial goal, enhance the political loyalty of its armed forces, strengthen them through reform and technology and the training of competent personnel, and run them in accordance with the law. PLA will take substantial steps on a Chinese path to military development, and comprehensively improve the level of modernizing national defense and the armed forces. China’s military has basically achieved mechanization and has made significant progress in information technology. At any time, the PLA of China has the resolve, the confidence and the ability to resolutely defend China’s sovereignty, security and development interests, resolutely deter and resist aggression, safeguard national political security, people’s security and social stability, safeguard legitimate rights and interests, and its overseas interests, and support the sustainable development of the country. PLA stays true to the original aspiration and founding mission and has faithfully fulfilled every task entrusted by the Party and the people and will forge a strong army on the new journey, and strive for new and greater glory in the new era.
Chinese people love and cherish peace, and take it as their sacred duty to maintain world peace and oppose hegemonism and power politics. For a long time, China remains committed to the path of peaceful development, develops itself by striving for a peaceful international environment, and maintains and promotes world peace through its own development in return. China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order. Since the founding of PRC, China has never taken the initiative to provoke a war, never invaded an inch of other countries’ land, never engaged in a proxy war, and never participated in or formed any military group. China has the world’s best record on peace and security issues. At present, China is still the only country in the world that has incorporated “adhering to the path of peaceful development” into its constitution, and is also the only among the 5 Nuclear Weapons States with nuclear weapons that has promised no-first-use of nuclear weapons and unconditional or no threat of nuclear weapons on Non Nuclear Weapons States and Non Nuclear Weapon Zones.
At present, the world is undergoing a historical change in an unprecedented way, posing challenges that must be taken seriously by mankind. Facing this critical moment of world peace and development, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative, systematically expounding China's position and proposition on promoting world security and maintaining world peace and security, emphasizing the adherence to a common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security vision. It provides a new direction for eliminating the root causes of international conflicts and realizing long-term peace and stability in the world.
China will continue to uphold the banner of peace, development, cooperation and win-win results, pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, adhere to the path of peaceful development, promote the building of a new type of international relations, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. No matter how China develops, we will never seek hegemony, expansion, or scope of influence, nor engage in arms race, and will always be the backbone of safeguarding human peace and tranquility. China has always pursued a defensive national defense policy, and the PLA has always been a firm force in safeguarding world peace.The PLA has actively carried out international military exchanges and cooperation and participated in United Nations peacekeeping operations. It has worked with the armed forces of other countries to address global security challenges, actively fulfilled international responsibilities and obligations, and made great contributions to promoting the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. The development of China's military strength is the growth of the world peace force.
China and Indonesia are good neighbors, friends and partners. In recent years, with the leadership and support of President Xi Jinping and President Joko Widodo, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries has been developing in depth, exchanges and cooperation in various fields are getting closer and have achieved fruitful results, bringing benefits to the two peoples, and making contributions to world and regional peace, stability, development and cooperation. At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President Joko Widodo paid a successful visit to China in late July, becoming the first foreign head of state that China has received in Beijing since the Beijing Winter Olympics at the beginning of this year, demonstrating the great strategic significance and far-reaching global influence of the relationship between the two countries. The two heads of state agreed to determine the general direction of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future, and commit to forging an exemplary model of major developing countries seeking mutual benefit, win-win results, common development and South-South cooperation，promote a series of cooperation outcomes, and inject strong impetus into the development of bilateral relations.
The defense and military relationship, as an important part of China-Indonesia relations, has also made new progress. The two armies continuously improve the level of strategic mutual trust. Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe and Indonesian Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto visited each other and conducted candid, friendly and fruitful exchanges. Cooperation in military academies and joint exercises have been expanded to multiple fields and levels. Humanitarian relief cooperation has become a highlight of military cooperation between China and Indonesia. Meanwhile, humanitarian relief cooperation has become the focus and highlight of the relationship between the two armed forces. The leaders of the two militaries extended sympathies and support to each other at difficult times such as the fight against the COVID-19 and the tragic sinking of the Indonesian Navy submarine, and took solid and effective measures to help each other. At present, the Chinese Government firmly supports Indonesia in hosting the G20 summit this year and ASEAN meetings next year. All these fully reflect the deep friendship between the two countries and the two armed forces that “Berat sama dipikul, ringan sama dijinjing”.
I am fully confident that with the support and care of heads of state of China and Indonesia, the defense departments and armed forces of the two countries will further consolidate and deepen friendly cooperation, add more substance to China-Indonesia comprehensive strategic partnership, and contribute to regional and world peace, stability and development.
(By Senior Colonel Chen Yongjing, Defence Attaché of Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Indonesia)
