Armed forces pressed to be combat ready

Xi says military must be prepared to handle complicated, tough situations

President Xi Jinping urged the Chinese military on March 9 to get ready to handle all types of complicated and difficult situations to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark as he attended a plenary meeting of the military delegation to the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress, which opened in Beijing on March 5.

There are 288 national legislators from the armed forces, the largest group of lawmakers in the 13th NPC.

Xi told national legislators from the People’s Liberation Army and the People’s Armed Police Force that China is facing increasing instability and uncertainties in its security environment, so the armed forces must take a balanced approach toward its daily work and combat-readiness efforts to make sure they will be prepared to protect the country and its socialist modernization drive.

He stressed that the military must fully understand the determination and intentions of the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, and must concentrate on the goals — set by the top leadership — to be achieved by 2027, a year marking the 100th anniversary of the PLA’s founding.

Xi said the military should organize and arrange its training activities in accordance with what will be needed to win a war. It should also speed up implementation of important projects and construction of high-level strategic deterrence and joint combat systems.

He called on the military to use scientific and technological innovation to drive its development and mobilize all available resources to foster creativity and originality in the defense technology sector.

Reforms in the defense system and the armed forces must continue as scheduled, and personnel management should be improved to attract and train talented people, according to the president.

In addition, Xi told the armed forces to strengthen their project management, such as feasibility studies and review and approval procedures. They should improve planning and coordination for major projects. Standards in examination of responsibilities, time management, quality checks and project supervision should be strictly followed, he added.

The president also told the military to accelerate the establishment of a modern asset management mechanism to better utilize its resources.

Six deputies from the armed forces shared their thoughts and suggestions on topics such as innovation of the defense technology industry, new combat forces and reform in personnel management.