China Celebrates PLA Anniversary with South Sudan Defense Minister

The Chinese Embassy in South Sudan hosted a reception in Juba on July 24 to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. The event served as a platform to reinforce diplomatic and military ties between the two nations.

During the celebration, South Sudanese Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs Chol Thon Balok praised China's long-term solidarity with South Sudan, specifically citing Chinese support for economic investment, infrastructure, and peacebuilding operations.

Chinese Ambassador Ma Qiang highlighted the military's global contributions, noting that China is the largest troop contributor to United Nations peacekeeping among the five permanent UN Security Council members and the second-largest financial contributor to the peacekeeping budget. Ma Qiang stated that the vast majority of the 1,600 Chinese peacekeepers currently serving across eight UN mission areas are deployed in South Sudan.