30 July 2021 August 1, 2021 marks the 94th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). The past 94 years have witnessed glorious achievements made by the PLA under the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC). After fighting in wars and overcoming difficulties with tremendous sacrifice, the PLA has laid a solid foundation for the establishment of a new China where the people is the master of their country, provided powerful support for safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and made great contributions to maintaining world peace and stability. China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development. On July 1 this year, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) , comprehensively reviewed the glorious course of the CPC’s endeavor in the past century and solemnly proclaimed that China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, more than 95 million Chinese Communists and 1.4 billion Chinese people unite as one, uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, and continue to make strides on the correct path of our own choice. China pursues an independent foreign policy of peace and adheres to the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs. China will never seek hegemony, expansion or a sphere of influence, nor will China engage in an arms race no matter how China develops itself. The Chinese military has always played an active role as a just force for world peace and development. Since 1990, the Chinese military has participated in 25 United Nations peacekeeping operations and dispatched a total of more than 40,000 peacekeeping officers and soldiers, making China the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the permanent members of Security Council of the United Nations. China always upholds the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind. In the history, China has long been one of the most powerful countries in the world, but it has no record of any colonization or invasion of other countries. Looking back at the history of the last 100 years, the mankind has experienced both bloody hot war and icy cold war. As a result, unity, cooperation and common development have become the common aspiration of mankind for the past 100 years. As we speak, undergoing profound changes unseen in a century and the impact of Covid-19, the world has entered a period of change and turbulence. In response, China calls on all countries to answer the call of our times and keep pursuing a community with a shared future for mankind. The Chinese people always see the whole world as one big family. Peace, concord, and harmony are ideas the Chinese nation has pursued and carried forward for more than 5,000 years. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, we believe that countries, irrespective of their size, strength and wealth, are equal members of the international community. China believes that we should solve all international disputes as well as hot spot issues through dialogue, consultation, and peaceful means. China firmly opposes the use of threat or use of force. China remains firm in its commitment to forging a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation. China firmly rejects all forms of hegemony and bullying. China adheres to the promotion of lasting peace and security in the global village. China firmly upholds the international order with the United Nations at its core, advocates the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and respects and guarantees the security of every country. Peace is like air and sunlight. We benefit from them without realizing their presence. But we are difficult to survive without them. The China’s military attaches importance to expanding communication and exchanges with militaries of other countries, actively participates in global security governance, and is willing to work together with the militaries worldwide to jointly shape a shared security pattern, provide public goods of security for the international community, and benefit the peoples worldwide in a variety of ways. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 epidemic, China has actively engaged in international cooperation to fight the epidemic and continued to provide public goods to the international community. Up to now, China has provided more than 500 million doses of vaccines and undiluted vaccine solutions to more than 100 countries and international organizations, equivalent to one-sixth of the total global vaccine production. In May 2021, despite China's own production capacity constraints, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) donated 100,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines to the army and people of North Macedonia, contributing China's strength to the fight against the epidemic in North Macedonia, vividly demonstrating the responsibility and commitment of the army of a great nation. China insists on pursuing a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China maintains the necessary national defense forces and keeps the global strategic balance. The Chinese people love peace and never take the initiative to cause trouble, but never be afraid of it. China’s armed forces will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the country, defeat all invading enemies. They endeavor to provide strategic support for consolidating the leadership of the CPC and the socialist system, safeguarding national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, protecting China’s overseas interests, and promoting world peace and development. At the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC on July 1, General Secretary Xi Jinping made a solemn promise to the world that China will always be a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order. China has embarked on a new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way. The China’s armed force will faithfully implement the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, and comprehensively promote international military cooperation in the new era. China is willing to work with all parties in the region and the international community to make greater contributions to the prosperity and development of the world, to make greater efforts for international fairness and justice and play a greater role for the common security of the world. Zhang Zuo, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to the Republic of North Macedonia MIA publishes these texts in original form and is not responsible for their content, wording or spelling