PLA's stand against corruption makes it stronger, defense ministry says

The more resolutely the People's Liberation Army combats corruption, the stronger its fighting capacity becomes, a Chinese defense ministry spokesperson said on Thursday when addressing questions about recent personnel changes in the military.

Jiang Bin, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular news conference that the investigations into Zhang Youxia, vice-chairman of China's Central Military Commission, and Liu Zhenli, a CMC member, represent a major achievement in the anti-corruption fight of the Communist Party of China and the military.

These investigations, Jiang said, demonstrate the Party's and the military's determination and strength, and are of great significance in winning the battle against corruption within the armed forces.

Responding to media inquiries about the impact of the high-level CMC personnel changes on the Taiwan question, Jiang said, "The more resolutely the PLA combats corruption, the stronger, cleaner, and more combat-capable it becomes, remaining at all times a heroic force that the Party and the people can fully trust and rely on."

He warned that armed "Taiwan independence" forces should not harbor any illusions.

"No matter how they attempt to respond or seek confrontation with the PLA, it would be tantamount to 'striking a stone with an egg' and can only lead to their own destruction," Jiang said, stressing that "the ultimate outcome will be the reunification of the motherland".

Jiang reiterated that peaceful reunification and "one country, two systems" constitute the mainland's basic principle for resolving the Taiwan question and represent the best approach to achieving national reunification.

"We are willing to strive for the prospect of peaceful reunification with the utmost sincerity and the greatest efforts, but we will never commit to renouncing the use of force, nor will we allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland," he said.