PLA shows it stands ready to safeguard nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity: China Daily editorial

Monday marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. During that course of time, the PLA has made historical achievements in striving for national independence, people's liberation and national prosperity and safeguarding world peace and promoting human progress.

Entering the new era, since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012, the PLA has made great strides on the road to building a strong military with Chinese characteristics.

From guarding borders and defending territory to counter-terrorism, from emergency response and disaster relief to helping rural vitalization, the PLA has diligently fulfilled all the missions and tasks it has been called on to undertake and resolutely safeguarded China's sovereignty, security and development interests.

At the same time, the PLA has taken an active part in international peacekeeping operations, naval escort missions in Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, international anti-epidemic cooperation, international disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, and provided more and more public security goods to the international community.

With various security challenges emerging one after another, and instability and uncertainties on the rise, the PLA must enhance its awareness of potential dangers and resolutely shoulder its responsibilities.

One of the most pressing challenges is the United States' support of the secessionists in Taiwan. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's proposed visit to the island, if materialized, will constitute a grave violation of China's sovereignty and territorial integrity and seriously shake the political foundation of the Sino-US relations. The ongoing military drills in the waters near the island and in the South China Sea demonstrates the PLA is fully prepared to thwart any endeavors to split the island from its motherland.

It is the US side that has taken the initiative to try to unilaterally change the status quo of the situation in the Taiwan Straits. And it is the US side that should be held accountable for all possible dire consequences that might have been caused by doing that.

China will do its utmost with utmost sincerity to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification of the two sides of the Taiwan Straits. However, the nation is unyieldingly opposed to "Taiwan independence". No one should underestimate the PLA's determination and ability to defend the nation's territorial integrity.

At the same time, while striving to achieve its centenary goal of becoming a world-class military by 2027, the PLA will continue to be a staunch force committed to maintaining regional stability and promoting world peace.

The country has always been a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development and a defender of the international order, and the Global Security Initiative that China has proposed, which insists on common, integration, cooperation and sustainable security concept, and calls for dialogue rather than confrontation, and non-aligned, win-win cooperation rather than zero-sum game mentality, can help make up for the peace deficit in the world. It also provides the orientation for the PLA in its efforts to safeguard regional and world peace, security and stability.