Xi calls on military to improve combativeness

China holds a military parade at Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on July 30, 2017, in celebration of the 90th birthday of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. [Photo: China Plus/Li Jin]

President Xi Jinping on Sunday ordered the country's military to further improve its combativeness and modernize national defense and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks after reviewing a grand military parade at the Zhurihe training base in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The parade was held to mark the PLA's 90th founding anniversary, which falls on Aug. 1.

The PLA must regard combativeness as the sole and fundamental benchmark, focus on war preparedness, and forge an elite and powerful force that is always "ready for fight, capable of combat, and sure to win," Xi said.

He also called on the officers and soldiers to build the army with better political awareness, strengthen the army through reform, develop the army with science and technology, and govern the army according to law, in order to push for the modernization of national defense and the military in all respects.