President urges military to accomplish goals of reform

President Xi Jinping urged the Chinese military on Wednesday to accomplish all of the goals of its ongoing reform and strengthen planning for the next phases of reform.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in an instruction sent to high-ranking commanders at a top-level workshop in Beijing on Wednesday that they must review and make full use of the successful experience of the reform, be aware of new situations and tasks, work hard to improve troops' combat readiness and take the lead in innovation.

He asked the officers to firmly carry out measures and tasks already set by the reform, and advance the planning for the reform's next phases in order to open a new chapter in the military's development and pave the way for the realization of the goals set for 2027, when the People's Liberation Army celebrates its centenary.

The workshop, held by the Central Military Commission, focused on the current reform of the national defense system and the armed forces. Commanders from all of the commission's departments, service headquarters, regional commands and top research bodies took part in the meeting.

In his instruction, Xi said that the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission have displayed "unprecedented determination and strength" since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in November 2012 in pushing forward large-scale reform to overcome long-standing institutional and structural obstacles and build a world-class military.

The reform has led to historic achievements and has brought a new structure, new system, new spirit and new image to the Chinese armed forces, the president said.

The ongoing military reform has been personally initiated and guided by Xi since late 2012, when he became the top leader of the Party and the military. It was officially unveiled in November 2015 and has resulted in the biggest, most important overhaul of China's armed forces in decades.