98 years on, China's PLA continues to put people first, contribute to world peace

In June this year, severe flooding hit Rongjiang County in southwest China's Guizhou Province due to persistent rainstorms. With a population of 385,000, the county received prompt rescue efforts from both authorities and volunteers.

The members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police Force rushed to the affected region to fight the floods and mitigate the losses, with more than 9,200 military personnel, 14,000 militia members and 90 sets of large engineering equipment mobilized to participate in tasks including search and rescue, relocation of residents, road clearance, removal of mud and disinfection, safely evacuating more than 48,000 residents.

The year 2025 marks the 98th anniversary of the founding of the PLA. Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that the PLA is a heroic force that enjoys the full trust of the Party and the people, and the PLA has the confidence and capability to safeguard China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.

People's military

A fleet of the PLA Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Shandong, departed south China's Hong Kong on the morning of July 7, wrapping up a five-day visit. Residents joined the officers in singing songs, and the dock's message wall was filled with blessings for the nation and expressions of gratitude for the PLA.

Throughout their visit, the naval fleet engaged in a variety of activities, including ship tours, national defense lectures and cultural exchanges, igniting enthusiasm and patriotism among Hong Kong residents.

As long as the armed forces stand with and win the support of the people, a "wall of iron" can be fortified, Xi once said, reminding the armed forces to keep firmly in mind the fundamental principle of serving the people.

The PLA has always closely linked its mission with the interests of the people. From building a strong and stable modern border, sea and air defense, and contributing to national development, to responding to external military provocations and deterring "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, the PLA defends national sovereignty, security, and development interests with concrete actions.

In the front lines of fighting natural disasters and conducting rescue and relief work, they shoulder great responsibilities and bear in mind its fundamental purpose of wholeheartedly serving the people to put into practice, making every effort to ensure the safety of people's lives and property.

According to China's Ministry of National Defense, on China's poverty alleviation achievements, the Chinese military has provided assistance to 4,100 impoverished villages, 293,000 impoverished households and 924,000 impoverished people, becoming an important force in the country's battle against poverty.

As the country is advancing to build modern and world-class armed forces, more highly educated people are flocking to join the PLA. These fresh bloods coming from the people have provided the people's military with endless vitality.

During a national conference honoring model cities and counties in promoting mutual support between the military and the government and between the military and the people, Xi stressed that the military should firmly establish a strong awareness of its fundamental purpose, actively support local construction and development, and take concrete actions to bring benefits and promote prosperity for the people.

Staunch force of world peace

When the PLA celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2017, Xi said the Chinese military would always be a staunch force in maintaining world peace.

One often-cited example is China's role in UN peacekeeping operations. Since 1990, China has dispatched more than 50,000 peacekeepers to over 20 countries and regions, including Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Sudan, South Sudan and Mali, undertaking 26 UN peacekeeping missions, according to the Ministry of National Defense. A total of 17 Chinese servicemembers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of world peace.

China is the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping operations and provides more peacekeepers than any of the other permanent members of the UN Security Council. At present, more than 1,800 Chinese military personnel are carrying out missions across seven UN peacekeeping mission areas and at UN Headquarters.

In addition, China's military has made significant contributions to global health undertakings, serving as a major player advancing global health amid complex security challenges.

Chinese armed forces have deployed multiple medical teams for peacekeeping missions in countries such as Lebanon and South Sudan, and have participated in international disaster relief missions, including earthquake relief missions in Nepal and Myanmar. China's naval hospital ship "Peace Ark" has toured to 49 countries and regions, providing health services to more than 370,000 people.

Being a peace-loving and peace-preserving force, the Chinese military is a steadfast supporter of international humanitarianism and military medical development.