China exudes military confidence on PLA anniversary

(L to R) Honour guards from the navy, land, and air force of the People's Liberation Army dress in the latest uniform and salute in formation in Beijing, August 1, 2007.

BEIJING (Reuters) - China called its growing military strength a force for peace and Communist Party rule on the 80th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army on Wednesday, even as a senior commander warned Taiwan against risking war.

President Hu Jintao, addressing hundreds of soldiers, sailors and airmen as well as an unusually large number of former top leaders, promised more money for military modernization, to include greater use of technology and professional troops.

Hu paid little heed to his normal line of stressing harmony and China's peaceful development as he sought to show off his leadership of the armed forces in the run up to this autumn's 17th Party Congress.

The anniversary has brought a crescendo of propaganda seeking to advertise China's growing military confidence but also to counter Western claims that the PLA threatens regional stability.

"The PLA is internationally renowned as a powerful, disciplined army and has won the deep trust and high regard of the party and people," said Hu, who is also chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission.

"We will gradually increase spending on national defense as the economy grows and continue to modernize national defense and the armed forces," he added, as a plethora of former leaders looked on, including his predecessor, Jiang Zemin.

"We will .... ensure that our armed forces are capable of winning a war in the information age," Hu said, in a speech punctuated by thunderous rounds of applause. "modernization of weapons and equipment should be accelerated and personnel training enhanced."

The People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper, said in an editorial the PLA was a force for peace.

"It provides a staunch security protection for our country's development in an important strategic period ... and plays a major role in protecting world peace."

Hu used the word "harmony" only twice. The word has become a catchphrase under his administration to describe efforts to ease social tensions spawned by a widening wealth gap as well as rising medical and education costs.

"DAUNTING TASKS"

The editorial also said the military was an "important force" to ensure the party's grip on power. In 1989, troops fired on demonstrators in Beijing demanding democratic change.

"In the face of profound changes and daunting tasks, political work can only be strengthened and not weakened," Hu said. " ... the PLA is forever at the Chinese Communist Party's command."

The anniversary also brought a reminder that preventing Taiwan's full independence remains the PLA's key mission.

Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary. China and Taiwan have faced off since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949, when Nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing to the Communists.

Though Hu did not directly mention Taiwan, defense Minister Cao Gangchuan was quoted as saying on Tuesday that China had the ability and will to stop the island formally declaring independence.

China is keen to dispel concerns in Washington that its growing arms budget is far from transparent and that Beijing's rising military spending could threaten Taiwan and destabilize East Asia.

In March, China said it would boost defense spending by 17.8 percent to about $45 billion this year, but a Pentagon report in May said Beijing's total military-related spending could more than double that.

(Additional reporting by Chris Buckley)