Xi stresses real combat training

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, issues an order at a mobilization meeting held by the commission on Jan. 3, 2018. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

BAODING, Hebei, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping Wednesday instructed the armed forces to strengthen real combat training and improve its war-winning capability.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks while issuing an order at a mobilization meeting held by the commission.

It was the first time for the commission to hold a mobilization meeting for the whole armed forces.

Xi urged the armed forces to implement the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress and the CPC's thought on building a strong army in the new era.

At 10:00 a.m., Xi ascended to the review stand in military uniform at the main venue where more than 7,000 armed officers and soldiers, as well as nearly 300 sets of armaments, formed up in line at a range of the Central Theater Command.

Elsewhere, over 4,000 branch venues were designated to listen to Xi's instruction.

In Xi's order, he urged the army at all levels to enhance military training oriented at combat readiness and put military training at a strategic position and as the central work with effective results.

Leading officers should take the lead and play an exemplary role, Xi said, calling for real combat training and joint combat training according to rules in strict governance.

The armed forces should conduct training in fine work style, innovate method and improve support to training, tighten up supervision, and hold events of mass training for the soldiers, said Xi.

Xi called on the armed forces to enhance targeted and adversarial training, improve military real combat ability, and firmly grasp the capability to win battles.

Commanders and personnel should firmly implement the decisions and instructions by the CPC Central Committee and the CMC with a fighting spirit of fearing neither hardship nor death, Xi said.

They should also train hard in a scientific way, be brave to overcome difficulties and surpass opponents, and create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfill the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era, he added.

After the meeting, Xi reviewed assembly of soldiers on the site and training of various troops via televised devices.

CMC Vice Chairman Xu Qiliang presided over the meeting.

Other senior military officers including CMC Vice Chairman Zhang Youxia also attended the meeting.