Enhance China-PNG military understanding and cooperation

Focus

China is willing to work together with Papua New Guinea Defence Force to enrich bilateral military exchanges,
deepen practical cooperation in various fields, to add impetus to the development of China-PNG partnership,
defence attaché of the Chinese embassy, senior colonel ZHANG XIAOJIAN writes

ON July 1, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
A month later, we celebrate the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), which is created and led by the CPC.
Ninety-four years ago, China was a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society.
The country endured foreign invasion, the people subjected to dire poverty, and the Chinese civilisation plunged into darkness.
To gain independence of the nation and freedom of the people, the CPC and the Chinese people went through indomitable and arduous struggling.
On Aug 1, 1927, a gunshot heard from the city of Nanchang pronounced the birth of the people’s army led by the CPC.
Since then, the people’s army has devoted itself into the course of seeking liberation and wellbeing for the Chinese people as well as seeking independence and rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Its fate has since been closely connected with the fate of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation.
The Chinese PLA is an army that never yields.
The army undertook the 12,500-kilometer long march, toppled imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat-capitalism suppressing the Chinese people, won the war to resist US aggression and aid Korea.
With great sacrifice, the army laid a solid foundation for the establishment and consolidation of the People’s Republic of China, where people became their own masters, and reversed the nation’s state of backwardness and vulnerability to foreign invasion.
The Chinese PLA is an army that shares the fate of the people.
The most fundamental principle of the army is to serve the people wholeheartedly.
Where there is a danger, there is the army.
The officers and soldiers have devoted huge efforts to benefit the people.
They joined the fight against Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, participated in disaster rescue and relief, played an active role in national development, and protected people’s safety.
They are affectionately called “the most lovable person” by the people.
The Chinese PLA is an army with iron-like discipline.
At any time and under any circumstances, the armed forces follow the orders and march forward in unison.
Even if it is cold and hungry, the officers and soldiers won’t take anything from the people.
Even if it is in a desperate situation, they will stick to their posts and are willing to sacrifice their lives.
The Chinese PLA is an army that reforms, innovates, and advances with the times.
The army learns how to fight a war in wars and through practice, and has written a brilliant chapter of continuous innovation in the art of war in the world military history.
Today, under the strong leadership of President Xi Jinping, based on an integrated effort to build a prosperous country and a strong military, the PLA is working toward the strategic goal of “basically complete the modernisation of national defence and the military by 2035, and fully transform the people’s armed forces into world-class forces by the mid -2lst century”.
It is making efforts to build a strong military that “obey the Party’s command, can fight and win, and maintain excellent conduct” and create a modernised military force structure with Chinese characteristics, to provide strategic support for safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. The Chinese PLA is an army that maintains peace and safeguards justice.
Since modern times, the Chinese people have suffered deeply from aggressions and wars, and deeply appreciates the value of peace and the pressing need for development.
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the country has been
committed to promoting world peace.
It voluntarily downsized the PLA by over 4,000,000 troops, and never started any war or conflict.
China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and will never seek hegemony, expansion or spheres of influence.
China has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order.
The Chinese military has always been a staunch force for world peace.
China is a major contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget and the largest troop contributing country among the permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Since December 2008, the Chinese government has dispatched naval ships to carry out regular vessel protection operations in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off the coast of Somalia.
They have provided security protection for over 7,000 ships, and rescued, protected or assisted over 70 ships in distress.
The PLA navy’s hospital ship Ark Peace has fulfilled nine voyages coded as “Mission Harmony” and helped over 230,00 people.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and PNG.
After 45 years of hard work, China-PNG relations have had a solid foundation for the further growth.
In November 2018, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a historic state visit to PNG, which witnessed the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership featuring mutual respect and common development between the two countries.
Under the guidance of this overall bilateral framework, the bilateral military cooperation has made successive progress.
The two sides have maintained dialogues and exchanges between high-rank military officers.
Chinese PLA has provided logistic supports such as military trucks to PNG Defence Force.
Some PNG Defence Force officers have been to China to receive various training courses.
Several Chinese naval vessels, including the Peace Ark medical ship have made port calls to Port Moresby.
China has made new commitment to continue to provide military grants aid to PNG, to help build the capacity and capability of PNG Defence Force, which will also benefit the civilian people.
China always takes PNG as a good friend and a good partner.
The bilateral military tie is an important component of the whole relationship between China and PNG.
The Chinese side is willing to work together with PNG Defence Force to enrich the patterns and content of bilateral military exchanges, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, to add impetus to the development of China-PNG Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.