Zhou Ming (right), head of the military staff committee of the Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations, and Liu Jieyi (center), China's permanent representative to the UN, greet General Adrian Foster, UN Deputy Military Advisor, at a reception to mark the 88th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army, on Thursday in New York. Zhou reviewed the PLA's contributions to world peace and stability as well as China's commitment to peaceful development. "2015 is an important and unique year," he said. "The UN will commemorate its 70th anniversary and the 70th anniversary of the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. China will actively fulfill its due international obligations and firmly promote peaceful and common development." China has had military contacts with more than 150 countries and exchanges about 400 visits every year with foreign military delegations. China has also dispatched the biggest number of support teams among the 115 troop contributing countries to the UN, and contributes the largest share of UN peacekeeping costs among all developing countries, he said. Established on Aug 1, 1927, the PLA is the principal body of China's armed forces, encompassing the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Second Artillery Corps. [Photo by HAN MENG / FOR CHINA DAILY]