President Xi Jinping says China to have world-class military

As the Communist Party Congress opened on Wednesday, President Xi Jinping talked about various issues in a three-and-a-half hour speech

China's most important political event, the Communist Party Congress (CPC), opened here on Wednesday, with President Xi Jinping pledging to transform the country's armed forces into a world-class military to safeguard the nation's sovereignty.

College students wave national flags as they watch the opening of the 19th Communist Party Congress in Huaibei on Wednesday. Pic/AFP

In a three-and-a-half-hour speech, Xi touched various issues ranging from national rejuvenation to staunch loyalty to the Communist Party, which has ruled China since 1949 when Mao seized power.

On a rain-soaked morning at the Great Hall, Xi said military mechanisation will be achieved by 2020 and the application of IT in the force had come a long way. "The armed forces will be transformed into a world-class military by the mid-21st century," Xi announced.

Xi, the chairman of China's Central Military Commission, called for unflinching loyalty from the Army towards the party. China has the world's largest standing Army of 2.3 million. Unlike the armed forces of other countries, the Army is political. Xi has carried massive military reforms and decided to bring the number of troops to below one million. "We must enhance the political loyalty of the armed forces," Xi said, adding that focus must be on combat.

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