BEIJING, Sep. 7 -- When being asked by the press about his comments on an article titled The Pentagon Is Prepared for China, written by US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and recently published in the Wall Street Journal titled, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson of China’ s Ministry of National Defense, reiterated that China’s military is the people’s military, which serves the people wholeheartedly and makes due contributions to building a better world of enduring peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness.
According to the article mentioned above, Mark Esper thinks that the PLA is not a military that serves the nation or the constitution, but belongs to the Chinese Communist Party (CPC); that the US must have a force that is able to compete, deter and win across all domains in the long-term competition with China; and that as the PLA continues its aggressive behavior toward its neighbors in the region, American forces will continue to strengthen the longstanding partnership with allies and partners across the Indo-Pacific region.
As for such an expression which is brimming with Cold War mentality and ideological prejudices, Snr. Col. Ren named it as groundless nonsense that outrageously distorts the PLA and flames up the so-called “military threats from China”. If not based on political bias against objective facts, the article at least reveals an appalling ignorance of basic common sense, he pointed out. The Chinese side is strongly opposed to it.
Just as the Constitution of the People's Republic of China provides, the socialist system is the basic system of the People's Republic of China. The leadership of the Communist Party of China is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The armed forces of the People's Republic of China belong to the people. The goal of the CPC is to serve the people wholeheartedly. As an armed force created and led by the CPC, the goal of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, as always, has also been to serve the people wholeheartedly.
Every Chinese knows the PLA is “the people’s military”. It has made tremendous sacrifices in fighting for national independence and people’s liberation, as well as outstanding contributions to developing the economy, coping with serious natural disasters, and protecting people’s life and property. Facts have proved that any attempt to split the close ties between the Chinese military and the Chinese people is doomed to fail.
The Constitution of the People's Republic of China also states that China is committed to the path of peaceful development and continues to pursue an opening up strategy of mutual benefit in developing diplomatic relations, economic and cultural exchanges with other countries, as well as promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. Since the People’s Republic of China was founded 70 years ago, it has never waged a war or infringed upon a single inch of a foreign land.
The enhancement of the Chinese armed forces contributes to the increase of forces safeguarding world peace. Chinese military has taken an active part in the UN’s peacekeeping operations, escort missions at the Gulf of Aden, and humanitarian aid missions, sparing no effort in providing the world with more public security products. “China and its military have won international acclaims for their great contributions to safeguarding world peace and prosperity. We have friends in every corner of the world,” said Ren.
“The American side’s trick of hyping up regional tensions and driving a wedge between China and its regional neighbors is nothing but a pipe dream,” Ren continued, after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, the PLA has worked courageously and tirelessly under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at the core and the direct command of the Central Military Commission. They have faithfully practiced the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, earnestly fulfilled the international responsibilities of a major country’s armed force, and actively carried out international anti-epidemic cooperation in jointly defending international health security and building a global community of health for all.
Ren stressed in the end that the Chinese military will continue to make due contributions to building a better world that is clean and beautiful and characterized by enduring peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness and inclusiveness.
