The June 2007 issue of Qiushi magazine of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China published an article by Ma Xiaotian, President of the PLA National Defense University. The article states that the People’s Liberation Army "is the military force that carries out the Party’s political tasks." The article calls for the Chinese military’s allegiance to Communist leader Hu Jintao. "We must closely unite together around the CPC Central Committee led by Comrade Hu Jintao as General Secretary."