Xi: Enhance political loyalty in military

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, walks with military officials on Monday in Yan'an, Shaanxi province. He underscored the importance of enhancing political loyalty in the military in the new era and providing a firm political guarantee for building a strong military at a military political work conference held from Monday to Wednesday. [Photo by Li Gang / Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has underscored the importance of enhancing political loyalty in the military in the new era and providing a firm political guarantee for building a strong military.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that the world, the nation, the Party and the Chinese military have been undergoing deep and sophisticated changes, and the country's armed forces are facing a range of complex challenges.

Under such circumstances, the military must continue to make all-out efforts to strengthen its political building, uphold political loyalty and purity, and stick to its missions, he said.

The military also must strive to hone its troops' combat capabilities, maintain its solidarity and fighting spirit, train more skillful professionals, and ensure strong discipline in order to keep intensifying its political strength in the new era, according to Xi.

He made the remarks on Monday when addressing senior commanders at a military political work conference in Yan'an, Shaanxi province, an important cradle of the Chinese revolution led by the CPC.

During the speech, Xi expounded his views on deep-rooted issues that must be solved to make way for political building inside the armed forces, stressing that the origin of such issues lies in the deterioration of some service members' spirit and morals.

He said officers, especially those in high positions, should carry out self-reflection and correct any problems.

The commander in chief urged the armed forces to enhance their political education, improve Party organizations' management and their overall capabilities, and strengthen the selection, training and management of officers. He also called for eradicating hotbeds of corruption and promoting comprehensive disciplinary supervision, cracking down on red tape and excessive bureaucracy and meeting the actual needs of troops, and restoring and upholding time-honored political traditions, such as senior officers setting an example by observing rules and fulfilling duties.

Xi said that it is a duty of all members in the military to promote political building, adding that related departments under the Central Military Commission and units of the armed forces must work together to push forward such work.

By doing so, the military, under the Party's guidance, will become stronger and will march toward its centenary in 2027 with new achievements, according to Xi.

Before addressing the conference, Xi and a group of top commanders had a guided tour of Wangjiaping, a historical site in Yan'an, which was home to the Central Military Commission from 1937 to 1947.

After the tour, the president asked that all senior officers should keep in mind their initial aspirations and missions, become role models for their troops, and shoulder their responsibilities to lead their units in the fight for realizing the military's centenary goals.

Hundreds of high-ranking officers took part in the three-day meeting, which was organized by the Central Military Commission. Attendees listened to Xi's instructions, held panel discussions and shared their thoughts during the event, which concluded on Wednesday.

The last time such a meeting was held was in 2014, with senior officers convening in Gutian, Fujian province. That was the first time the military arranged a top-level political work conference since Xi became general secretary in late 2012.