China's Political Season: President Xi joins discussion of delegation of PLA and armed police

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We begin in Beijing with China's annual political gathering, the Two Sessions.

President Xi Jinping attended a discussion held by the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and armed police.

He stressed the need for reform and practical efforts to deepen the integration between the military and civilians to build a powerful, modern military. Timothy Ulrich has the story.

Military-civilian integration. President Xi Jinping says it's an essential part of building strong armed forces for a new era. Xi Jinping is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission. And on Monday, he joined a meeting of the delegation of People's Liberation Army and armed police.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT "Before this year's Two Sessions, the 19th Central Military-Civilian integration Commission held its first plenary session. The session approved guidelines for military-civilian integration and the focus of work in 2018. The document calls for the creation of innovative demonstration zones and the implementation of initiatives that prove successful."

In the process of deepening military-civilian integration, President Xi said the military should increase its capacity for independent innovation, and make good use of scientific and technological advances.

But even with the most modern weapons, he said strict training would still be necessary.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT "I think the military needs to strengthen its exercises, especially in combat conditions. We need to keep up with the times. We say we are ready all the time, continuing the good tradition of our military. It means our exercises should base on real combat conditions. Soldiers, commanders and all the military units should follow the requirements to build a powerful military."

He also stressed the importance of non-commissioned officers, saying they play a key role in determining the level of the military as a whole.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT "Non-commissioned officers are very important. Their abilities and stability need to be improved. When I have visited the military, I have found it is not easy to be a qualified soldier It is also not easy to be a commander at the grass-roots level. Non-commissioned officers are the basic backbone. The stability of the unit is of great significance."

He expressed appreciation and respect for the armed forces.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT "The People's Liberation Army are the most wonderful people. We shouldn't let heroes shed tears as they bleed. They should be respected. We must guarantee this most basic thing."

President Xi also stressed the need to reform the political system to speed up the construction of a modern military.

He said the PLA must be run strictly in accordance with the law, and called for acceleration in the pace of development of a military legal system with Chinese characteristics.