Chinese embassy in Lebanon marks 97th founding anniversary of PLA

BEIRUT, July 25 (Xinhua) — The Chinese embassy in Lebanon hosted a reception on Wednesday to commemorate the 97th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China.
More than 300 guests attended the event, including Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Qian Minjian, Defense Attache Zheng Yuchong, and representatives of the Lebanese army.
In his speech, Zheng highlighted the robust relations between the Chinese and Lebanese armies, noting increased collaboration in personnel training, group visits, disaster response, and rescue operations.
Zheng mentioned that the Chinese Ministry of National Defense recently organized a symposium in China for senior military officers from China and Arab countries. Officers, including those from Lebanon, engaged in discussions on Chinese-Arab relations, the Global Security Initiative, and strategies to enhance security cooperation.
The PLA has been actively involved in peacekeeping operations in Lebanon, said the Chinese defense attache, adding that the Chinese peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has cleared over 2 million square meters of minefields and areas scattered with explosives, removing more than 20,000 landmines and unexploded ordnance.
Zheng added that Chinese peacekeeping forces frequently dispatch doctors to Lebanese villages, offering free medical consultations and assistance to over 60,000 residents. They have donated medical equipment, daily necessities, and school supplies more than 200 times, and repaired 320 kilometers of roads, earning high praise from local communities.
China sent its first peacekeeping mission to Lebanon in 2006. ■