As the 80th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)
approaches, China's Defence Minister and Vice-Chairman of the
Central Military Commission (CMC), has reiterated a pledge to
recognize the absolute leadership of the Communist Party over the
nation's military.
In a signed article published by the Party Journal Qiushi,
meaning "Seeking Truth", on July 16, Cao Gangchuan, third in the
chain of command of the PLA, said, "We must unswervingly adhere to
the fundamental principle of the Party's absolute leadership over
the military."
"Troops obeying the command of the Party Central Committee is
the principle of the PLA's establishment and the greatest political
demand of the military put forward by the Party and the Chinese
people," he said.
Some factions in China in recent years have argued for the PLA
to be brought under the leadership of the State rather than the
Party.
"Some hostile forces have made it their priority to westernize
the Chinese military and have preached the non-politicalization and
nationalization of the military in an attempt to separate the
military from the Party leadership," he continued.
"The PLA regards the political tasks of the Part as its own
tasks ... all Chinese servicemen have a firm belief in obeying the
Party's order and following the Party line," he said.
"The party's core leadership of three generations and the
current CMC Chairman and Chinese President, Hu Jintao, has made the
Party's absolute leadership over the military its top priority.
"Chairman Hu once said it is important, historically, to pass
down fine traditions of the military to generation after
generation, maintain inherent qualities and styles of the army and
make the PLA the people's army under the absolute leadership of the
Party," Cao noted.
(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2007)