LUSAKA, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in Zambia on Wednesday hosted a ceremony to celebrate the 92nd anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), which falls on Aug. 1 this year.
The celebration, held at the embassy premises, was attended by officials from both the Chinese embassy and the Zambian government as well as senior military officers from the two countries.
Li Jie, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia, said the PLA has been integral to the development of the Communist Party of China and plays a vital role in the cause of Chinese people.
"In the past, the PLA has made irreplaceable and indelible contributions to the liberation and development of the people of China, to reform and opening up of China and to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development," he said.
The Chinese envoy stressed that the PLA has remained a guardian of the Chinese people in pursuit of a safe home and better life and gives a strong boost to their efforts to fulfill the dream of rejuvenation of China.
China, he said, has always been a peace-loving nation and that its strategic goal was to develop itself rather than to challenge other countries.
China has no intention to challenge the international setting and interest of any other country or the existing international order and system, he added.
He further hailed the military cooperation that has existed between Zambia and China over the years and added that the two countries were committed to upholding world peace.
Davies Chama, Zambia's Defense Minister, said Zambia has been following with keen interest the development of the PLA over the years which has transformed itself to meet global needs such as participating in peace keeping operations.
He said African countries experiences skirmishes have also benefited from the PLA contributions in reducing conflicts.
The Zambian minister further hailed the long-standing cooperation between the PLA and Zambia defense forces which has been strengthened in the last few years as evidenced by the increased number of training opportunities given to Zambia defense personnel.
