Special report: Marking 80th anniversary of PLA

A grand rally opened on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), August 1, 2007.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao stressed here Wednesday the loyalty of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to the Communist Party of China (CPC).

    "To follow the CPC's command is the overriding political requirement that the Party and Chinese people have placed on the PLA and is the unshakable and fundamental principle for the PLA," said Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

    Hu made the remarks in his speech delivered here at the grand rally held to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

    On Aug. 1, 1927, CPC-led armed forces held an uprising in Nanchang, now capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, which is regarded as the founding day for the PLA.

    "In these 80 years, the PLA has fostered its fine revolutionary traditions," he said, stressing "the traditions, in essence, mean that the PLA is forever at the CPC's command and the service of the people and should be courageous and skillful at war fighting."

    "The noble spirit that the PLA has nurtured over the years is to adhere to the absolute leadership of the Party," he said.

    "Only by putting itself under the CPC leadership has the PLA been able to stay on the right course politically and maintained its strong cohesion and combat effectiveness as well as its vigor and vitality, " he said.

    This year, a series of official programs are held nationwide to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the army's Day, including the grand rally opened at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People.

China marks PLA's 80th birthday with grand rally

      BEIJING, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- A grand rally opened here on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

China's army declares zero tolerance of "Taiwan independence"

    BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese army marked its 80th birthday with a high-profile reception on Tuesday at which Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said the army will have zero tolerance of "Taiwan independence."

    "We will absolutely not allow Taiwan to secede from China under any pretext or in any manner," Cao said.

Performance marks Chinese army's 80th anniversary

    BEIJING, July 30 (Xinhua) -- A grand performance was staged in Beijing Monday evening to mark the 80th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), with the presence of President Hu Jintao and other top leaders.

    The singing and dancing performance is an artistic retrospect of the 80 years of history of the PLA, which was founded on August 1, 1927.