In the new era, the CPLA, under the guidance of President Xi Jinping’s Thought on Strengthening the Military, focuses on its centenary goal, marching toward world-class armed forces at a faster pace and makes new progress in the modernization of national defense and the military.

Facing the future, the CPLA will actively fulfill its international responsibilities as the armed forces of a major country and strive to make greater contributions to a world of lasting peace and universal security.

First, we will unswervingly pursue a defensive national defense policy. President Xi emphasized that China has always been the builder of world peace, the contributor to global development and the defender of international order.

It is not in the genes of the Chinese nation to invade and dominate others. The Chinese people love and cherish peace. We take it as a sacred duty to maintain world peace and oppose hegemonism and power politics.

China will continue to pursue an independent foreign policy of peace, stay on the path of peaceful development, and work for a new type of international relations. History has proven and will always prove that China as a major country will never follow the old path of seeking hegemony. No matter how China develops in the future, China will never seek domination, expansion or spheres of influence.

Second, we will staunchly pursue a community with a shared future for mankind. On the way forward, China will resolutely practice the new vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, practice true multilateralism, uphold the common values of all mankind, and actively participate in the reform and building of the global governance system.

We will also promote an open world economy, and implement the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, injecting more stability and positive energy into world peace and development.

The CPLA will faithfully implement the vision of the community with a shared future for mankind, actively fulfill the responsibilities of the armed forces of a major country, vigorously strengthen international military-security exchanges and dialogues, develop defense relations that are non-aligned, non-confrontational and non-targeting of third parties, and promote the establishment of a fair, effective and collective security mechanism and military mutual trust mechanism, actively expand the space for military security cooperation and create a security environment conducive to peaceful development.

Third, we will unwaveringly maintain world peace and stability. The security of one country cannot be built on the instability and insecurity of other countries. China will, as always, uphold peace, development and win-win cooperation, and work for a new type of international relations featuring mutual benefits.

The CPLA is providing the international community with more and more public security goods, including international peacekeeping, antiterrorism cooperation, antipiracy escorts and humanitarian assistance. China sends more peacekeepers than any other permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It is the second-largest contributor to the UN regular budget and peacekeeping assessments.

Since 2008, the CPLA has carried out escort missions to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. China has dispatched 44 escort fleets for the protection of more than 7,100 Chinese and foreign ships, and rescued more than 70 ships in distress.

Facts have proven that China not only creates favorable conditions for its own development by maintaining world peace, but also preserves world peace better through its own development. The stronger the CPLA is, the stronger the force for peace and against wars will be, and the better world peace and development will be guaranteed.

Fourth, China will unswervingly be a good neighbor, good friend and good partner of Indonesia. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Indonesia keeps growing.

The two countries have entered a new era of China-Indonesia community with a shared future. Exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields are increasingly frequent and fruitful, delivering benefits to the two peoples and positive contributions to global and regional peace, stability, development and cooperation.

The relationship between the two armed forces is an important part of the bilateral relations. Cooperation in joint exercises, personnel training, equipment technology and other fields has become increasingly effective.

Last November, the hospital ship Peace Ark of the Chinese Navy paid a friendly visit to Jakarta and provided free medical services to the local people. Last June, two warships of the Chinese Navy came to Indonesia to participate in the “Komodo-2023” Multinational Naval Exercise.

Most recently the Chinese National Defense University Field Teaching delegation composed of more than 50 senior officers visited Indonesia last month. These exchanges and cooperation have injected impetus into the in-depth development of the relationship between the armed forces of the two nations.

The world today is undergoing major changes unseen in a century. Peace and development are still the themes of the times. However, we are facing increasingly severe risks and challenges. China and Indonesia should work together to future strengthen communication and cooperation in regional and international forums, and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests.

We believe that through our joint efforts, the relationship between our two countries and two armed forces will surely move up to a new level, and will definitely make new and greater contributions to global and regional peace and promoting common prosperity!

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The writer is defense attaché, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of Indonesia.