Xi: Upgrade military, defense in new era

Armed forces must prepare to handle complicated, difficult situations, he says

President Xi Jinping urged the Chinese military on Tuesday 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 on Tuesday 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 Friday.

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 their attention on goals set by the top leadership for the military to achieve by 2027, a year marking the 100th anniversary of the PLA's founding.