The centerpiece of the Chinese Dream is the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and a nation cannot be rejuvenated without a strong military. A backward defense force makes a country vulnerable. This is a lesson that China has learned the hard way over centuries of humiliation at the hands of imperialist powers.

That is why the Chinese people have been focusing on developing the economy and, in the process, endeavoring to build a strong military. The process started after the founding of New China, but it was slow in the four to five decades that followed.

Now, the country has established an independent and integral national defense industry, and completed the structural transformation of the People's Liberation Army - from an army-centric force to one that is also good at joint operations with the special services that include the PLA Navy and the Air Force.