Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for efforts to cultivate military personnel and speed up to foster new combat forces when he inspected China's Aviation University of Air Force in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin Province.

President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stressed further reform and innovation, as well as continuous efforts to improve teaching.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended greetings to the personnel of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the Armed Police Force, the militia, and the reserve force, ahead of China's Army Day that falls on August 1.

The Aviation University of Air Force is the first aviation school founded by the CPC. In the aviation hall, Xi learned about the spirit and development of the university, and called on everyone to remember the glorious history and carry forward the spirit of the university. 

On the training ground, student pilots were doing physical training and anti-vertigo training. Xi encouraged them to study and train hard in a scientific manner to contribute to the building of a strong army. 

Xi later inspected the teaching facilities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and learned about the training of UAV operators. Xi said unmanned operations are profoundly changing the mode of warfare, given the emergence of various types of UAVs.  

It is necessary to strengthen research on unmanned operations, step up efforts to develop UAVs, reinforce actual combat education and training, and accelerate the cultivation of UAV operators, he stressed. 

After listening to a university report, Xi urged them to transform the strategy of strengthening the army with talents into development plans and pragmatic measures, and implement them in the entire process of running the university.  

He added that it is necessary to strengthen research on modern warfare, especially modern air warfare, optimize disciplines, build strong teaching staff, innovate training models, and promote the overall upgrade of education and training.

Xi called on the university to focus on overall air force transformation and development, closely follow the development trend of the world's new military revolution, strengthen the construction of frontier disciplines, and enhance the training of new types of talents.  

He also urged relevant departments of the air force and the CMC to strengthen guidance to help resolve prominent problems.