Lieutenant General He Lei, former vice-president of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Chinese PLA, said in a recent interview that “there is only one thing I still hope for in my 50 years of military service: the reunification of motherland.”
Speaking of the Taiwan question, Lt. Gen. He lamented the separation of Taiwan from the mainland for nearly 70 years caused by the civil war. As a Chinese veteran, He Lei has been looking forward to Taiwan’s return to the motherland and the complete reunification of China.
He regretted to say as one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, China is the only country that has not achieved national unity. “To achieve the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation and realize the reunification of the country, this is one hurdle that we have to cross,” added He.
He Lei pointed out that the unity of the motherland and ethnic solidarity are in line with China’s overall development strategy and are also the hope of Chinese nation. Taiwan's return can not only contribute to national rejuvenation, but also be conducive to its own development.
After 40 years of reform and opening-up, the mainland has become the second largest economy in the world and is progressing steadily towards being the largest one. Once the goal to build a strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful socialist country has been achieved by the middle of this century, China would take the center stage of the world. Therefore, we hope that the Taiwan authorities can see the larger picture and accept national reunification as an irresistible historical trend, He Lei said.
In the Taiwan question, He Lei believed that the prosperity and strength of the mainland is the greatest attraction and cohesion for the Taiwan people. Besides, China's military development is the largest deterrent and strike force for Taiwan separatists as well as a strong positive energy for Taiwan's peaceful return.
He said, “I still remember an old marshal once said that we waited for Taiwan’s return to the motherland for so long that our hair turned grey. Unfortunately, the old marshal passed away some years ago. I, as a successor and a veteran of 50 years, have had my hair turned grey too. But I hope that the next generation will not have to wait for so long.”
I sincerely hope that the treasure Taiwan island can return to the motherland and the Taiwan compatriots can return to the motherland in the near future, added He Lei.
Disclaimer: The author is Wang Siyu from www.taiwan.cn. The article is translated from Chinese into English and edited by China Military online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. Chinamil.com.cn does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same. If the article carries photographs or images, we do not vouch for their authenticity.
