Opinion: Will military reform alienate Chinese people from the army?

World
Europe

At the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the report delivered by General Secretary of CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping clearly lays out the future direction of the Chinese army’s development.

Chinese military reform will step into the fast lane, strengthening and continuously experiencing in-depth progress.

The press center of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a group interview on "solid strides on the path of building a powerful military with Chinese characteristics" in Beijing, on October 22, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

In this era, will the Chinese military reform widen the distance between Chinese people and the army? This is what many people are concerned with. The answer is no. On the contrary, the deepening of reforms would constantly bring the relations between the two sides closer.

First, the military reform aims to make China's armed forces the People's Liberation Army (PLA) more capable of safeguarding people’s interests. With the development of globalization, people are also enjoying global interests, and with the deepening of the opening-up and reform policies, more and more enterprises and individuals are expanding to overseas markets. Previously, synchronizing the safeguard of people’s interests and market expansion lacked harmony, thus, how to safeguard this expansion of overseas interests has become a factor affecting their spread.

The PLA celebrates its 90th founding anniversary in a parade on July 30, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

The reform enables the army to improve its ability to safeguard people’s interests, including at the international level. This coincides with Chinese people’s expectations and strong aspirations for the army to boost its strength through reforms.

Second, the military reform aims to integrate the PLA’s development with people’s interests. China's military development has taken the road of civil-military integration rather than being individually grounded on abundant investments. It is the kind of reforms that benefits the army and the people.

Echelons of helicopters fly in formations during a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on July 30, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

High-tech development can serve the progress of the military as well as local construction, instead of solely serving the military. The aero-engine technology, as one of the prominent examples, can be used for building large civil aircraft while benefiting R&D for military transport aircraft. This tendency has grown in intensity.

This is the distinctive feature of China's military reform. It is also another important factor to make people realize the close links between the reform and their interests.

Third, the military reform aims to help the PLA improve people’s confidence. Military reform has enhanced the combat effectiveness of the PLA, thus strengthening their confidence in national security.

Tanks are seen during a military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA on July 30, 2017. /Xinhua Photo

China’s army has been undertaking more and more overseas missions, as more and more people place their trust in it to safeguard their interests. During the Libyan civil war, many Chinese citizens suffered great losses despite leaving the country as they failed to safeguard their interests at the time. Now, such a thing will never happen, because China’s military reform is yielding important results.

Fourth, military reform offers people a sense of dignity and honor. The strength of a country's armed forces is directly related to its people’s pride. The military reform is expected to make the Chinese army stronger and more powerful, answering to Chinese people’s anticipation and aspiration.

Nowadays, with the Chinese military's presence in many overseas missions, Chinese nationals have a strong sense of dignity, no matter where they go. As China’s army develops and its strength increases, Chinese people's confidence and pride will continuously benefit. The increasing strength of the PLA will make Chinese people live a more dignified life in the world and enhance their sense of honor.

(The author is a political commentator and military expert. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.)