Beijing: China’s Communist Party has reinforced its “absolute leadership” over the country’s 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.
President Xi Jinping, on Monday chaired the meeting of the PolitBuro of the CPC to review regulations on the political work in the armed forces. According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, a statement was issued after the meeting in which the political work in the armed forces was reviewed.
Since taking over power in 2012, Xi – who has emerged as the most powerful leader after Mao Zedong, has been constantly highlighting that the PLA should function under the absolute leadership of the CPC.