Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping told the country’s military and armed police force to “step up preparations for war.”
Xi “has told the country’s military and armed police force to get ‘combat ready’ to defend national sovereignty and security, amid fears that Beijing may be planning an invasion of democratic Taiwan in the next few years,” according to a Radio Free Asia.
Speaking with People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police (PAP) leaders, Xi emphasized “the entire army needs to strengthen its performance so as to do a good job of ensuring a good start to the 14th Five-Year Plan, and of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the party.
Xi, who doubles as China’s Commander-in-Chief, also called for “strengthened military training and preparations for war.”
“We should persist in using combat to guide our work; step up preparations for war as well as developing a top-level strategic deterrent and joint forces combat system,” he added.
