Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered the Chinese military to 'prepare for war'. He added that China's national security is facing 'increased instability and uncertainty.' The president was at the joint operations command centre of the Central Military Commission in Beijing when he made the declaration.
"The entire military should devote all its energy to and carry out all its work for combat readiness, enhance its capability to fight and win," Jinping told the state-owned media outlet, Xinhua.
Holding the three powerful posts of the head of the party, the military, and the Presidency, Xi is the only leader besides the party founder Mao Zedong to continue in power after completing 10-year tenure, while all his predecessors retired.
On Tuesday, Xi inspected the joint operations command centre of the CMC here which provides vital support to the strategic command of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.
Upon arriving at the command centre, the Chinese leader was given a briefing, the official media reported. As head of the party, the military and being president, Jinping holds three powerful posts. After Mao Zedong, he is the only leader to stay in power after completing a 10-year tenure.
“Xi instructed the armed forces to thoroughly study, publicize and implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and take concrete actions to further modernize national defence and the military,” Xinhua reported. China has always maintained that Taiwan comes under its dominion. Jinping recently secured a historic third term as China's president.