“The world is not all at peace. Peace must be safeguarded,” says Chinese President Xi Jinping at military parade.
Chinese President Xi Jinping touted the need to build a “world-class” army capable of “defeating all invading enemies” at a military parade held on Sunday to mark the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Since coming to power in 2012, the president has trumpeted building a stronger, combat-ready army, while leading efforts to centralise the ruling Communist Party’s control over the PLA, the world’s largest standing military.
Sunday’s procession — including 12,000 service personnel and about 700 aircraft and pieces of ground equipment — marked the first time Xi has observed a parade of this size staged in the field, according to the ministry of defence.
“The world is not all at peace. Peace must be safeguarded,” Xi, wearing a camouflage military suit, said in a speech at the expansive Zhurihe training base in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous region.
“Today we are closer than ever before to the goal of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and — more than any other time in history — we need to build a strong people’s military.”
Read more: China must have ‘world class’ army, says Xi

Chinese military helicopters fly in a formation to make the number “90” during a military parade at the Zhurihe training base in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on July 30, 2017. ─ AFP

The Chinese flag is raised during a military parade at the Zhurihe training base in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on July 30, 2017. ─ AFP

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops march past military vehicles Sunday, July 31, 2017 as they arrive for a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA. ─ AP

Chinese J-20 stealth fighter jets fly past during a military parade at the Zhurihe training base in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on July 30, 2017. ─ AFP

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops march in formation Sunday, July 30, 2017 as they arrive for a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA. ─ AP

In this photo released by China’s Xinhua News Agency, military vehicles carrying missiles for both nuclear and conventional strikes are driven past the VIP stage during a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army at Zhurihe training base in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. ─ AP

Chinese soldiers carry the flags of (L to R) the Communist Party, the state, and the People’s Liberation Army during a military parade at the Zhurihe training base in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region on July 30, 2017. ─ AFP
 
This article originally appeared in Dawn News , July 30, 2017. Original link.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are not necessarily supported by CRSS.