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China's military celebrate 82nd anniversary

By Robert J Saiget | AFP

A file photo showing Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s honour guards line up in front of a background featuring the Great Wall. China marked the 82nd anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army on Saturday, 1August 2009, with a call to the force once led by revolutionary Mao Zedong to play a lead role in maintaining social stability.File photo/AFP/Liu Jin/China

China marked the 82nd anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army on Saturday with a call to the force once led by revolutionary Mao Zedong to play a lead role in maintaining social stability.

“We are the People’s Army under the absolute leadership of the Communist Party,” an editorial in the People’s Liberation Army Daily said.

“Our military is a pillar of strength for the people’s democratic dictatorship and an important force safeguarding social stability.”

The editorial addressed to the PLA and the People’s Armed Police said safeguarding national unity and fighting criminal violence and ethnic and religious separatism would remain a top priority.

“We must solidify our ideology that stability is the priority and that safeguarding overall social stability will forever be the main task,” the editorial said.

“Whether or not we can realise the sacred mission of the party and the people is an issue linked to the strengthening of the ruling status of the party and the long term security of the nation.”

The PLA, established in 1927, ushered in communist rule when Mao declared the birth of the People’s Republic of China 60 years ago in October.

Since then the PLA has remained under the direct leadership of the ruling party and is not wholly accountable to either the state or parliament.

China sees many large-scale protests and riots each year, often sparked by allegations of government corruption and fuelled by a widening gap between rich and poor.

The PLA and the armed police are routinely called in to help quell such unrest as happened after riots erupted in the Xinjiang capital of Urumqi last month that left nearly 200 dead and almost 1,700 injured and also in Tibet last year.

The PLA would remain in Xinjiang and help maintain order there, the People’s Daily said Saturday, citing Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission.

“We must help the local government strike at any kind of violent criminal activities and make new contributions in safeguarding Xinjiang’s social stability,” Guo was quoted as saying during a visit to Urumqi.

In a speech on Friday marking the anniversary, Defence Minister Liang Guanglie said the nation would pursue the path of peaceful development and would enhance cooperation with foreign militaries, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The PLA, focusing on modernisation, will keep improving its capacity to deal with crises and safeguard peace, and deterring and winning a war,” the report quoted Liang as saying.

“The PLA will also prevent antagonistic forces from carrying out separatist and sabotage activities and safeguard national security and social stability.”

China would continue to seek peaceful reunification with Taiwan, Liang said, but would also oppose Taiwan secessionists.

China has roughly doubled its military budget since 2006, according to official government figures that some overseas analysts say vastly downplay what Beijing actually spends.

The build-up has prompted concern overseas about China’s military ambitions and transparency, but Beijing has argued that much of its new military spending has gone into better food and equipment for its 2.3 million servicemen and women.

Copyright © 2009 AFP

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