August 1 was the 97th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples’ Liberation Army and there was a major celebration at the Great Hall of the People as well as at embassies throughout the world. PLA modernization has been a primary concern during the leadership of Xi Jinping, calling for great urgency because of the evermore provocative policy of the West towards China.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the flagship Party magazine, Qiushi, published an article by President Xi on the military. In the article Xi said that developing the people’s army into a world-class military at a faster pace was a “strategic task” for building a modern socialist country in all respects. He said the military’s political integrity must be enhanced and that the military should be strengthened through reform, development of science and technology, as well as talent cultivation.
In addition to this, he underlined that the “barrel of the gun” should always follow the Party’s orders, referring to Mao’s oft-cited comment that “power comes out of the barrel of the gun.” Xi also held a party leadership study session just prior to the anniversary, calling for modernizing border, coastal and air defense. He wrote back to officers and soldiers of an elite army company, who had written to him, relating the history of the PLA during its early days and urging them to strengthen training in real combat conditions.
The recent communique from the Third Plenum of the CPC Central Committee, which concluded on July 18, also underlined the importance of strengthening the military through reform to ensure the realization of the PLA’s 2027 goals, 2027 will mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PLA.
