Serve the People, Contribute to Mankind – the Journey of China’s Armed Forces over the Past 95 Years
为人民服务，为人类贡献——中国人民军队95年来的光辉历程
Chinese Ambassador to Canada, H. E. Cong Peiwu Published an Article in Esprit De Corps
驻加拿大大使丛培武在《战斗精神》杂志发表署名文章
26 July 2022
2022年7月26日
August 1, 2022 marks the 95th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army of China. Ninety-five years ago, Canada had already emerged from the shadow of the Great War. However, at that same juncture, the land of China was laid to waste and the Chinese people were plunged into unprecedented misery and suffering of a long bloody civil war. When leading the Chinese people in the great anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle, the Communist Party of China represented by Mao Zedong fully realized that without a People’s army, the people have nothing. At that critical milestone of the Chinese nation, the Communist Party of China resolutely fired the opening shot of armed resistance against reactionaries in Nanchang city on August 1, 1927. Since then, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) which was created and led by the Communist Party of China, bearing the hopes of a future nation, has made invaluable contributions to the cause of China’s revolution, construction, and reform through faith and perseverance.
2022年8月1日是中国人民解放军建军95周年纪念日。95年前的加拿大已经从战争阴霾中走出，而彼时的中华大地，却是山河破碎、生灵涂炭。以毛泽东为主要代表的中国共产党人，在领导人民进行反帝反封建的伟大斗争中，深刻认识到没有一个人民的军队，便没有人民的一切。在中华民族生死存亡的危急时刻，中国共产党在1927年8月1日，毅然决然在南昌城头打响了武装反抗反动派的第一枪。从那时起，中国共产党缔造和领导的人民军队，背负着民族的希望，坚定信仰、砥砺奋进，为中国革命、建设、改革事业，立下了不朽功勋。
In 1938, Norman Bethune, a Canadian doctor, made the arduous trek to war-torn China. He worked selflessly and made great contributions to humankind until the end of his life. Bethune established health schools for the Eighth Route Army which was then fighting on the frontline against the Japanese invaders. He trained a large number of medical workers, compiled a variety of field medical textbooks, and treated a multitude of wounded people. After Bethune’s death, Mao Zedong wrote, “Now we are all commemorating him, which shows how profoundly his spirit inspires everyone. We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him. With this spirit, everyone can be very useful to the people.”
1938年，加拿大医生白求恩不远万里来到中国，忘我工作、无私奉献，为战斗在抗击日本侵略者一线的八路军创办卫生学校，培养了大批医务干部，编写了多种战地医疗教材，救治了大批伤员，直至献出自己的生命。毛主席在白求恩大夫去世后写到：“现在大家纪念他，可见他的精神感人之深。我们大家要学习他毫无自私自利之心的精神。从这点出发，就可以变为大有利于人民的人。”
Like Mao Zedong’s depiction of Bethune, the PLA have always relied upon the Chinese people and their mission is to do their utmost for the people. They remain close to the people, and their fundamental tenet of serving the people wholeheartedly has not changed and will never change. From fighting floods and plugging breaches, to earthquake search and rescue missions undertaken despite the risk of aftershocks, from “the Xiaotangshan military Hospital” in the fight against SARS to “the Huoshenshan military Hospital” established in 2020 to combat COVID-19, the PLA have always been on the front lines to protect the people of China. The PLA have always played their role as an innovative spearhead, towards making great contributions to the protection of people’s lives and property. In the face of the tough campaign aimed at lifting all poor people in China out of poverty, China’s armed forces have made full use of their resources to actively engage in various forms of targeted poverty-alleviation actions. As a result, the PLA helped 4,100 impoverished villages, 293,000 struggling households, and 924,000 poor individuals to rise up out of poverty. Without a doubt, the PLA have become an important force on the special battlefield of poverty alleviation.
中国军队一如毛主席形容白求恩大夫那样，始终坚持一切依靠人民，一切为了人民，与人民群众心连心、同呼吸、共命运。从抗洪抢险封堵决口到冒着余震搜寻抢救，从迎战非典的“小汤山”到抗击新冠疫情的“火神山”，中国军队冲锋在第一线，奋战在最前沿，始终是一支重要的生力军和突击队，为保护人民生命和财产安全作出了巨大贡献。在脱贫攻坚这场硬仗面前，中国军队充分发挥自身优势，积极开展多种形式的精准扶贫行动，共定点帮扶4100个贫困村、29.3万贫困户、92.4万贫困群众，成为脱贫攻坚特殊战场上的一支重要力量。
Mr. Lester B. Pearson, the 14th Prime Minister of Canada, was an active advocate of multilateralism. He consciously linked Canada’s active participation in those UN activities and operations aimed at stabilizing international relations, enhancing national security, and exerting its own influence on the international stage. Located near the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa, is the Peacekeepers’ monument which is emblazoned with the words “Reconciliation: The Peacekeeping Monument” and is a manifestation of Canada’s contributions to UN peacekeeping missions.
加拿大第14任总理莱斯特·皮尔逊先生曾积极倡导“多边主义”，重视联合国的地位和作用，有意识地将积极参与联合国维和行动，同稳定国际局势、增进国家安全、发挥自身在国际舞台上的影响力紧密联系起来。距离中国驻加拿大使馆不远，就立有“维持和平纪念碑”。
Chinese President Xi Jinping said, “being able to enjoy peace is a blessing for the people and it is the responsibility of the PLA to protect it. The world is not entirely a peaceful one and peace needs to be safeguarded.” The PLA also hold high the banner of peace and justice. They have actively participated in UN peacekeeping missions, international counter-terrorism, escort missions, humanitarian aid efforts, and actively conducted exchanges and mutual cooperation with the armed forces of other countries. The PLA’s image as a force of peace, justice, and valour has not changed and will never change. To date, as the second largest contributor to the UN’s regular and peacekeeping budgets, China has sent over 40,000 peacekeepers to 25 UN peacekeeping missions, ranking the PLA first among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. Twenty Chinese military peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives during these missions. Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations of UN said publicly, “We are very grateful for China’s support to the work of the United Nations in the field of peace and security. We also appreciate China’s commitment to the protection of civilians and to community outreach, as well as to key areas such as medicine and engineering. The performance of Chinese peacekeepers is highly commendable and it has contributed to high operational efficiency of our operations.”
习近平主席强调，“安享和平是人民之福，保卫和平是人民军队之责。天下并不太平，和平需要保卫。”中国军队高举和平与正义旗帜，积极参与国际维和、国际反恐、国际护航和人道主义救援，积极开展与各国军队交流合作，和平之师、正义之师、威武之师的形象从未改变、也永远不会改变。截至目前，中国已先后参加25项联合国维和行动，是第二大维和摊款捐助国，累计派出维和军事人员4万余人次，出兵人数居联合国安理会五个常任理事国之首，其中更有20名中国维和军人牺牲在任务区。联合国负责维和事务的副秘书长拉克鲁瓦公开表示：“非常感谢中国在和平与安全领域对联合国工作的支持，对中国在保护平民、社区外联以及维和医疗、工程等重要领域所作的贡献表示赞赏。中国维和人员表现优异，帮助联合国提升了维和行动整体质效。”
Since December 2008, a message sent by escort fleets dispatched by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has been continuously broadcast across the waters of the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast. “We are the Chinese Navy escort fleet, please call us on channel 16 if you need help.” This message has become a signal of safety for nearly 8,000 Chinese and foreign merchant ships transmitting this pirate-infested seaway. Since being commissioned in 2008, the naval hospital ship Peace Ark has carried out its “Harmonious Mission” on seven separate occasions. On those missions Peace Ark traveled to 43 countries, and provided medical services to over 230,000 thankful patients who have subsequently dubbed Peace Ark “the ship of life”. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the PLA have sent teams of military experts to 4 countries, provided assistance and anti-pandemic supplies for the armed forces of more than 50 countries, and shared COVID response experience with more than 10 countries, thereby contributing “Chinese strength” to international cooperation against the COVID-19 pandemic.
自2008年12月起，中国海军护航编队播发的通告在亚丁湾、索马里海域从未间断。“我是中国海军护航舰队，如需帮助，请在16频道呼叫我”。这成为近8000艘中外商船的“平安之音”。中国海军“和平方舟”号医院船2008年以来先后7次执行“和谐使命”任务，访问了43个国家，惠及民众23万余人次，被称为“生命之舟”。新冠疫情暴发后，中国军队向4个国家派遣军队抗疫专家组，向50多个国家军队提供防疫物资援助，与10多个国家交流疫情防控经验，为抗疫国际合作贡献了“中国力量”。
Changes to our world, our times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. This poses challenges that must be taken seriously by all of humanity. China stands ready to work with those peace-loving countries and peoples committed to development in order to carry out the Global Security Initiative and Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping. It is China’s vision open up a broad path toward lasting peace and universal security, and to forge a strong synergy in order to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Let the torch of peace be passed on from generation to generation and the sound of peace echo throughout the world.
当前，世界之变、时代之变、历史之变正以前所未有的方式展开，给人类提出了必须严肃对待的挑战。中国愿同世界上所有爱好和平、致力发展的国家和人民携手同行，落实好习近平主席提出的全球安全倡议和全球发展倡议，开辟出迈向持久和平和普遍安全的康庄大道，汇聚起构建人类命运共同体的强大合力，让和平的薪火代代相传，让平安的钟声响彻人间。