The National Art Works Exhibition in Celebration of the 85th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the 12th PLA Art Works Exhibition officially opened at the National Art Museum of China on July 26, 2012 in Beijing. Xu Caihou, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), attended the opening ceremony and viewed the exhibition.

Li Jinai, member of the CMC and director of the General Political Department (GPD) of the PLA, also attended the ceremony.

Xu Caihou watched the exhibition with great interest, inquired about the situations of the creative process and art forms in details, and praised the art works for their pronounced themes, innovative practices, diversified styles and rich flavor of life.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, Li Jinai expressed his hope that the relevant departments of the country as well as the civilian art workers will continue to show concern and support for the art creation with military themes.

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, the GPD and the Chinese Artists Association, the exhibition is not only the PLA art exhibition held every five years, but also a national exhibition of art works featuring military themes. The 568 works displayed were singled out of the 12,000-plus works submitted by both military and civilian art workers.

Hou Shusen, deputy chief of general staff of the PLA, Liu Xiaorong, deputy political commissar of the PLA General Logistics Department (GLD), Wang Hongyao, political commissar of the PLA General Armaments Department, Wang Guanzhong, director of the General Office of the CMC, and leaders of relevant departments of the Ministry of Culture, the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC), and the Chinese Artists Association also attended the opening ceremony.