August 1st is the Anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army. I hosted a special reception in the Embassy for this memorable day. In this birthday of PLA and military festival, we would have a common question: Why should we celebrate this military festival? What is the mission of military forces? What is the most important thing that should be cherished, struggled and protected by Afghanistan and the whole world? I believe everyone will answer with one word: PEACE!
Both Chinese and Afghans are peace-loving people. We have firmly pursued peace and made tremendous national sacrifices in chasing it.
The People’s liberation Army, led by the Communist Party of China, was born 91 years ago when Chinese warlords were conflicting, foreign enemies were besieging, the economy and society were withering, and the people were displaced. The members of the Communist Party of China and commanders and soldiers of the PLA shouldered the heave responsibility of national salvation. They overthrown imperialism, colonialism and feudalism with flesh and blood, given the common people a peaceful homeland and a blue sky.
PLA, tempered into steel and never yield in spite of reverses, undertook Long March, defeated foreign invaders and created the new China with independence and sovereignty. Since October 1, 1949, those days when the imperialist and western powers could force China into surrender by simply setting up a few cannons on Chinese coastlines has gone for good.
PLA, a dauntless and unyielding armed forces, never fear any enemies or threats, neither hegemonism, power politics, terrorism, nor traditional and non-traditional threats.
PLA, faithfully implementing Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Peaceful Development Road and New Security Concept, is always the builder of world peace, the contributor of world development and the defender of international order. PLA actively participates in UN peacekeeping missions, anti-piracy escort missions and international humanitarian rescue operations. Currently, nearly 3000 Chinese peacekeepers are serving in 7 UN peacekeeping regions. So far 13 Chinese servicemen sacrificed their life in the UN peacekeeping missions. In this Embassy, there are diplomats who did participate in UN peacekeeping missions in East Timor and Kosovo.
China is watching situation in Afghanistan closely, fully respecting on Afghanistan’s sovereignty, strongly supporting the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peaceful process of reconciliation and reconstruction, continuously deepening the defense and security cooperation with Afghan brothers, jointly countering international terrorists,  safeguarding the security and safety of the Belt and Road construction, and jointly building the China-Afghanistan strategic partnership and community of shared future.
Under the strong leadership of H.E. Chinese President Xi Jinping, PLA is adhering to the principle of the integrity of flourishing the nation and strengthening the military, conducting an unprecedented military reform, promoting modernization of national defense and armed forces, building up the global first class armed forces with Chinese characteristics. The purpose of these measures is to effectively shape the situation, manage the crisis, contain and win the war. PLA is solidly making military preparations for all strategic directions, developing new combat and supporting forces, conducting actual combat military training, strengthening the operation of military force, enhancing the capacity to conduct diverse military missions, accelerating the development of military intellectualization, improving the ability of joint operations  and universal fighting based on network information system, implementing the civilian-military integrated development strategy, promoting the transformation of military construction into a high-quality, efficient and technology-intensive one.
One of the highlight of this reception is the model showing of a batch of the latest Chinese weapons and equipment. Instead of flexing muscles and selling arms, it is just to demonstrate the will and ability of the Chinese Armed Forces to defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests and maintain world peace, and ability of self-reliance and self-directed research and development. Since peace requires more than confidence, courage and collaboration, it also needs capacity and connectivity.
Chinese and Afghan experience over the past 40 years has shown that, peace and stability is the foundation of development and happiness. Without peace, previous generation could not share their achievements, present generation could not live happily, and next generation could not have a bright future. Peace cannot be realized easily through waiting, easiness and relying on others, the only solution to peace depends on the common understanding and joint efforts of all citizens, including the military.
Let us pray for peace and fight for peace together!