The People's Liberation Army will have zero tolerance toward
"Taiwan independence" moves, Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan said
yesterday.
"We will absolutely not allow Taiwan to secede from China
under any pretext or in any manner," Cao said at a grand reception marking the
80th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese army.
The PLA is ready,
capable and resolute enough to stop any activity that could lead to Taiwan
"independence" in order to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial
integrity, he added.
"The army will continue to make the utmost effort in
promoting peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Straits and strive
for the prospect of peaceful reunification," said the defense
minister.
"Peaceful development across the Taiwan Straits is in the
interest of not only Taiwan people and Chinese mainlanders, but also the
international community."
He also noted that the army should modernize
and "informatize" further.
"With the world becoming more and more
interdependent and with the increase in non-traditional security threats, we
face new opportunities and challenges to maintain world peace and development,"
said Cao.
He reiterated that the PLA is an army of the people under the
leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
"The absolute
leadership of the CPC guarantees that the military will take the right course,"
he said.
Cao urged the armed forces to continue their efforts in social
development by participating in natural disaster rescue operations, building a
socialist countryside, developing the western regions and helping other key
national projects.
"China's military will further strengthen cooperation
and exchanges with foreign counterparts on the basis of equality, mutual respect
and benefit," Cao said at the reception at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing, which was also attended by military attaches from embassies in
Beijing.
(China Daily 08/01/2007 page 1)
Questions:
1. How many years has it been since the
founding of the PLA?
2. According to Cao, a PLA intervention in Taiwan
would safeguard what?
3. What two things did Cao say the military should
do?
Answers:
1. 80.
2.
National sovereignty and territorial integrity.
3. Modernize and
informatize.
（英語點津 Linda 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an
undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China
Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University,
where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.
Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an
undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China
Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University,
where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.
