'China to modernise national defense, armed forces': Xi Jinping on PLA Army Day

On the occasion of People's Liberation Army (PLA) Day in China, China's President Xi Jinping on Saturday remarked that China will embark on a new journey to completely modernise its national defence and armed forces.

According to China's state-backed media Global Times, Xi Jinping said that the CPC would soon transform the Chinese military into 'world-class forces'.

Xi Jinping's statements come as China celebrates its 90th People's Liberation Army (PLA) Day. The day holds special significance for the Communist Party of China (CPC) which won over the Nationalist Party of China in what is called as the  Nanchang Uprising of 1927. 

History of PLA

The history of China's People's Liberation Army is officially traced to the Nanchang Uprising of August 1, 1927, which is celebrated annually as PLA Day, marking the first major face-off between the Nationalist Party of China and the Communist Party of China. The engagement which resulted in the Chinese Civil War was initiated by the CPC to counter the Shanghai massacre of 1927 by the Kuomintang. Ultimately, Communist forces emerged successfully and occupied Nanchang and escaped from the siege of Kuomintang forces by August 5. 

Today, the PLA is one of the world’s largest military forces, with over two million members. While China has made military service compulsory for all men who attain the age of 18, not all are called to serve in the army due to the large number of men that reach the age every year. PLA is under the command of the Central Military Commission of the CPC and not the Ministry of National Defense, which operates under the State Council. 

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Tensions continue in South China sea

Meanwhile, China's aggression continues in the South China sea. In its latest stint, the Communist country has sent long-range bombers over the South China Sea for aerial drills amid rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. China's claim to virtually all of the South China Sea has created a spark among other south-east Asian nations.

As per reports, the US fist raised its voice against China in June, prompting Beijing to accuse it of seeking to create discord between China and its neighbours. As per reports, five other countries also exercise claims in the South China Sea through which around  $5 trillion in trade is transported annually. 

Read: 'South China Sea Not Beijing's Maritime Empire': US' Pompeo In His Fresh Attack

Read: Australia Joins Nations In Rejecting China's South China Sea Claims, Writes To The UN