Sierra Leone hails China's reduction of military force

The the 70th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in World War II (WWII) and the reduction of 300,000 personnel from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is a twin victory over the forces of evil, Sierra Leone's Deputy Government Spokesman Abdulai Baraytay told Xinhua Friday.

He said "the anniversary goes to show that the patriotic spirit of the Chinese government and people will always triumph and be a beacon of hope and trust to all African countries struggling to remove the shackles of domination".

Commenting on the decision to reduce 300,000 personnel from the military, Baraytay noted, "this is a welcome development and shows that China remains a peace-loving nation unlike some other countries in the world".

"The People's Republic of China has once again demonstrated its peaceful foreign policy by deciding without being pressured to down-sized 300,000 personnel from its national army. It is an outstanding achievement for all forces of peace in the world and the decision deserves commendation. Unlike many nations, which are busy increasing their forces, the People's Republic of China once again has shown that it wants a stable and secure world where the presence of war is excluded," said the spokesman.

According to Baraytay, "with regards to the 70th victory anniversary, all nations of goodwill should congratulate the heroic people of China for such a great event. It was a deserving victory which has contributed immensely towards world peace and security".