Nasim Mahmud
August 1, 2021 marks the 94th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Over the past 94 years, China’s military, which had experienced numerous battles and endured countless hardships, has dazzled its history with glorious victories and splendid achievements. The PLA traces its roots to the “Nanchang Uprising” of August 1,1927, the day the Communists led by stalwarts like Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and many others rose against the nationalist forces. It played a key role in the successful culmination of the Communist revolution in 1949, and of the Communist Party of China (CPC) coming to power. The Chinese PLA, led by the CPC, is the world’s largest standing army. It protects the world's fastest-rising economic power. The PLA is operated under the command of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the CPC. The priority mission of the PLA is to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, to deter and resist aggression, to safeguard national political security, people's security and social stability, to oppose and contain "Taiwan independence", and to safeguard China's maritime rights and China’s overseas interests.
China's military modernization began long before Xi Jinping became chairman of the CMC in November 2012. But the pace and scope of that effort have greatly accelerated under President Xi Jinping. Key changes include the introduction of advanced weapons and equipment, structural reforms to make the PLA a more effective force and a campaign to root out corruption. China is building stronger armed forces and has changed its defensive national law in January 2021.It was approved at the session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. There are several reasons why the national defense law was amended. After the fresh round of military reforms, the capability of the PLA has been remarkably improved. It is necessary for the PLA to undertake more work to defend national security, and not targeting or posing threat to any country.
The Chinese nation has always advocated peace and opposed militarism. The PLA has never taken by force an inch of land from any other country. It is not by engaging in military expansion or colonial plunder that China has grown from a poor and weak country to the world’s second largest economy today. China will never follow the beaten track of previous powers seeking hegemony. China is speeding up its defence and making an integrated effort to build a prosperous country and a strong military, according to the draft outline of the 14th Five Year Plan (2021-2025) for the National Economic and Social Development and the Long Range Objectives through the year 2035. The Chinese officials designated 2027 will be the Centennial anniversary of the PLA – as the year in which China will field a “Fully Modern Army”.
The Chinese military has made impressive strides in the past decade. The PLA has achieved progress in key technological areas, ranging from precision-guided missiles to advance surface ships, combat aircraft and is rapidly advancing in space technology. Currently, Chinese defence strategic thought places great emphasis on ‘integrated networked attack and defence air, sea, land, cyber and space operations. China hope to transform the PLA into a modern, network-enabled fighting force, capable of projecting sustained power in the regions. By 2025 China in regional terms will have completed the unprecedented development into both a continental and maritime military power.
In recent years, the Chinese military has conducted exchanges and cooperation with counterparts in other countries, provided abundant international public security products, responded to common security threats and challenges, and made important contributions to maintaining world peace and stability and serving the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) reaffirmed the CPC's absolute leadership over the PLA which is a "fundamental guarantee" for the army to maintain its great cohesion, creativity, and combat capabilities. The country's military is deeply rooted in the people and has made great contributions to achieving national independence as well as the liberation of the people in terms of economic development and poverty eradication.
The PLA is actively involved with non-traditional security operations. These include non-combatant evacuations; UN Peacekeeping operations (UNPKO); humanitarian assistance; disaster relief effort, anti-terrorism and anti-piracy operations. Through stronger collaboration with the civilian science and technology community, the PLA also put greater emphasis on new capabilities such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and big data. This reflected a shift to what the PLA terms "intelligentization" of the modern battlefield. The PLA is also expanding its research collaboration with universities outside China. Since 2010, the PLA has sponsored more than 2500 military scientists and engineers to study at foreign universities.
Over the past three decades, China's peacekeeping capacity has greatly improved in all respects. The ability and quality of China's peacekeeping forces are obvious to all. So far, China's peacekeeping forces have maintained a record of zero violations of discipline and zero repatriation, which is unique among all UN Peacekeeping forces. China is the second-largest donor to the UNPKO fund. It has contributed more than 10 billion US dollars to the UNPKO. So far it has dispatched about 40000 peacekeepers to 25 missions. Their peacekeepers have built and rehabilitated roads over 17000 Kilometers and are disposed of more than 14000 landmines and unexploded ordnance. Meanwhile, the PLA's involvement in Covid-19 relief supplies to overseas militaries has also been recognized. China already provided 300000 doses of coronavirus vaccines to the UN Peacekeeping troops. Between March 2020 and April 2021, the PLA provided military medical assistance to 20 countries around the world.
Bangladesh has achieved a robust economic growth and a role model for human development. The capabilities of the armed forces are well recognized and have made a mark globally. Defense ties between Bangladesh and China are considered a major strength of the relationship and enhance existing cooperation and join hands in safeguarding regional peace and stability.
Bangladesh defense forces are equipped with Chinese arms including tanks, missile launchers, fighter aircraft and several weapon systems. The Bangladesh Navy has purchased two submarines from China in 2016 which are armed with torpedoes and mines. This has made Bangladesh Navy a “Three Dimensional Force” which was designed by the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Moreover, China provides advanced training facilities to the officers of the Bangladesh Army. Bangladesh is always adhered to the “One China Policy” and continues to support China staunchly on issues concerning Hong Kong, Taiwan and human rights.
Chinese State Councillor and Minister of National Defense General Wei Fenghe paid a successful visit to Bangladesh in April,2021. General Wei met with Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and former Chief of General Staff General Aziz Ahmed. During the meeting, Abdul Hamid said, Bangladesh and China are time tested friends and reliable strategic partners. In return, General Wei said, China and Bangladesh have been friendly neighbors since ancient times and have a long history of bilateral ties. He also expressed a keen desire to “jointly maintain regional peace and stability” and jointly thwart the “alliance and hegemonic influences of external powers in South Asia”. On the occasion of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence, the Chinese Defense Minister paid deep tributes to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on his birth centenary. He lauded the economic development and progress of Bangladesh achieved under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He assured China’s substantial cooperation in achieving Bangladesh’s Vision-2041.
Nasim Mahmud is a Geopolitical. Analyst
