DailyNews Online Edition

Orchestrating national defence building

CHINa and Tanzania has achieved a lot through Sino-Tanzania cooperation.

THE coming August 1 marks the 85th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army of China. I am proud of the combat history and glorious achievements of the Chinese Army.  

On the occasion of the birthday celebration of PLA, I would like to brief on China’s adherence to coordinated development of national defence building and economic construction in order to share the relevant ideas with Tanzanian friends.  

Populous and weak in foundation as a developing country with a population of 1.3 billion, China bears a grave pressure in the livelihood or bread-and-butter issues and national security, and has historically been colonialized and bullied by foreign powers.  

It is attributed to the ruling Chinese Communist Party for its accurate mastery of the history, the world’s and national situation in parallel with the appropriate strategy that the People’s Liberation Army of China has evolved from a poor and blank start to be a powerful force with services and arms combined as it is today at a certain level of modernization, which has embarked on its informationization.  

One of the important experiences drawn therefrom is that China has dealt correctly with the relationship between national defence building and economic construction in the historical process of national construction and development so that it is made possible that the national defence building and economic construction are orchestrated as a whole and forge ahead in concert. 

In early days after New China was founded, the national finance and economy are severely in bracket of difficulties. Chairman Mao Zedong initiated the idea of “grip by two hands” (meaning “doing two jobs with equal emphasis”), one for national defence building, i.e., the inauguration of a powerful defence force for consolidation of national defence; and the other for economic construction, i.e., the endeavour for a basic melioration of national financial and economic conditions so as to lay a foundation for the full-scale development of the Chinese economy. 

In the late 1970s, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping held that peace and development are the two themes of the times in view of global strategic situation as well as major changes in the national security environment of China and adopted accordingly a series of decisive measures. 

The measures included downsizing the military force by a big margin, adjustment of layout of national defence industries, opening of a number of military airports, docks, warehouses, railway lines and other facilities, and training of talented personnel both for military and civil services.  

All these measures have greatly alleviated national financial pressure and forcefully supported the economic construction of the country.  The third-generation central leadership of the Chinese Communist Party with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core and the Central Party Committee with Comrade Hu Jintao as Secretary-General take the proper handling of national defence building and economic construction for a macro issue of all-inclusive significance. 

It abided by scientific development concept that coped with economic construction as a central task, and proceed with economic construction and national defence building with equal accentuation for coordinated and sustained development.  

On the basis of foregrounding economic, social and cultural construction, etc., we have cited a series of concrete moves to fortify national defence building, the PLA drives to be a more revolutionary, regular and modern force have acquired full momentum and the national comprehensive power has been further strengthened. 

China will invariably persist in planning and design the national defence building and economic construction within the all-inclusive framework of the national construction, configure  national defence resources and economic resources in an unitary way as required for coordinated development.  

On one hand, the scientific and reasonable proportionation of resources for national defence building is accentuated in consideration of both national demand for security and the bearing capacity of social economy.  

On the other hand, the attention is paid to the scientific and reasonable fixation of key points for national defence investment on purpose for sustained enhancement of military economic efficiency so that the same amount of investment may well result in effect and efficiency equally in military and civil services in time of peace and in time of war. 

Abiding by the road of peaceful development and following the defence policy of defensive nature, China does not seek any unrealistic strategic objective beyond its own resources and capacities.   Internally, China strives to construct a socialist society of harmony. Externally, China promotes the building a world of harmony of lasting peace and common prosperity.  

China carries firmly forward the outstanding cultural tradition and the concept of valuing peace above all inherent in the Chinese nation, advocates for disputes settlement by non-military means, adopts a prudent attitude toward war and strikes only after being struck strategically.  

Either at present or in future, no matter how much it may be developed, China will never seek hegemony and never go in for military expansion.  As the ambassador of PRC to Tanzania, I shoulder the heavy task of all-dimensional development of Sino-Tanzanian relationship of friendly cooperation.  

I am glad to see that the Sino-Tanzanian friendship created personally by leaders of old generations of the two countries and carried forward by the new generation of leaders has withstood the test of drastic changes in international context.  

Jointly concerned by the Heads of our two States, the exchanges and cooperation between China and Tanzania in politics, economy, culture and military as well as education, science & technology, agriculture and other fields have been developing without interruption.   The two countries have become good friends, good partners and good brothers to the extent of a model for Sino-African cooperation.

The series of outcomes in the evolution of Sino-Tanzanian relationship have brought forth benefits to our two peoples.   We will continue to adhere to the principle of sincere friendliness, equal treatment, mutual benefit and preference and common development and co-work along with Tanzanian friends from all walks of life to deepen friendship, push forward cooperation and attain common development.  

We are also willing to make due contributions to Tanzania’s economy, social development and the improvement of people’s life.  The relationship between the two armed forces of China and Tanzania is an important part of the relationship between the two countries.  

For half a century, the relationship between the two armed forces has been maintaining a healthy and stable tendency of development.   We are delighted to see that, along with economic-social development of Tanzania, new progress has been made in Tanzanian national defence and army building, which counts considerably in the effort to safeguard national interests and maintain national peace and stability.  

We believe that, under the leadership of President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, Tanzanian People’s Defence Force may pioneer a path of coordinated development of national defence building and economic construction with its own characteristics.  Lu Youqing is Ambassador of PRC to Tanzania