Chinese Party asserts its ‘absolute leadership’ over country’s military

Beijing, Dec 1: China’s ruling Communist Party has reinforced its “absolute leadership” over the country’s two million-strong force, asserting that the PLA should function strictly under the party’s command, as Beijing plans to build a fully modern military on par with the US by 2027.
The two million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the world’s largest, functions as an arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the one-party state, unlike other militaries of the world which function under their respective governments.
“The military should abide by the fundamental principle of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces,” said the Politburo of the CPC headed by President Xi Jinping which met here on Monday to review regulations on the political work in the armed forces.
A statement quoted by the state-run Xinhua news agency issued after the meeting highlighted the role of amending regulations on political work in the armed forces, noting that it could strengthen the party’s leadership over the military-political work and promote the full implementation of the strategy of enhancing the military’s political loyalty in the new era.
Such measures would help ensure the armed forces are always under the absolute party leadership and always capable of effectively fulfilling designated missions in the new era, thus contributing to the cause of delivering the party’s goal of building a strong military and building a world-class military in all respects. Xi – who has emerged as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, heading the party, military and the presidency – has been constantly highlighting that the PLA should function under the absolute leadership of the CPC. (PTI)