In what is now an annual call to action, president Xi Jinping again goaded the men and women of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to enhance their combat readiness to develop a strong armed forces ready for war.
During a meeting over the weekend of the Central Military Commission (CMC) that he heads, Xi also praised the PLA for resolutely safeguarding China's national sovereignty; security and development interests and withstanding complex situations and severe struggles.
"The world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century, and China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development," said Xi.
Ominously, Xi warned that various risks and challenges facing the PLA are on the rise.
Xi said the entire PLA must have a correct understanding of China's security and development trends. The PLA must also enhance its awareness of danger, crisis and war, and make solid efforts on combat preparations in order to accomplish the tasks assigned by the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the people.
The PLA owes its primary loyalty to the CPC, which has some 90 million members out of China's total population of 1.4 billion persons. It is the world's largest military force in numbers and has the second largest defense budget in the world.
As in previous years, Xi again hammered home the need for the PLA to boost its combat capability. He described combat capability as the only and fundamental criterion to judge the PLA.
Xi ordered all work, forces and resources to focus on combat capability and ensure a marked progress in attaining this aim.
Xi also emphasized the PLA's ability to respond quickly and effectively to conflicts abroad. He asked the PLA to enhance its capability to conduct joint operations; build new combat forces, and improve military training under combat conditions.
He emphasized that Party and government departments and agencies at the central and local levels are required to support the PLA and its military development.
In previous speeches to the PLA and its service branches, Xi had also urged the PLA to strengthen Party organizations at all levels. He wants to ensure servicemen and servicewomen follow the command of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.
He 2017, instructed the People's Liberation Army Ground Force to enhance its capability to win wars, implement restructuring plans and improve its combat mobility.
"The Army should innovate its training theories and methods, conduct more combat drills and build up soldiers' morale," he said.
