China's military is playing its part in "safeguarding world peace," the country's People's Daily said on Monday.
In an editorial waxing lyrical about Chinese blockbuster movie "Operation Red Sea," the powerful Chinese Communist Party-owned newspaper took the opportunity to laud the country's military operations.
Operation Red Sea is a Chinese war action movie loosely based on the evacuation of hundreds of foreign nationals and Chinese citizens' from Yemen's Aden port in 2015 amid the ongoing civil war. Released over the Lunar New Year season, the movie was one of the highest grossing movies of all time in China.
The movie, the editorial said, has "attracted worldwide attention on China's sense of responsibility to safeguard world peace."
Operations such as the one in Yemen and those involving Chinese escort fleets protecting foreign vessels and United Nations' World Food Programme ships "have manifested China's sense of responsibility in upholding justice, safeguarding peace and ensuring security," People's Daily added.
"With stronger national strength, a more modern China is providing the world with more and more security," it said.
The editorial came just as China said it will grow its military budget by 8.1 percent this year.
China is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council with peacekeepers on the ground.
"China is living up to its promise of always being a builder of world peace by concrete actions," the newspaper added.
Read People's Daily op-ed about Operation Red Sea — and the Chinese military.