President Xi Inspects Navy: Chinese president calls for stronger combat capabilities

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02:07

The Chinese President Xi Jinping has inspected a naval division in Qingdao. The eastern port city was the venue for the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization last weekend. Xi Jinping, also the chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged sailors to strengthen their combat abilities. CGTN's Timothy Ulrich has more.

President Xi went on board a submarine and spoke with the crew. He expressed concern about their working conditions and encouraged them to strengthen their combat abilities.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION "How long have you been here?"

SAILOR "21 years. I know my job responsibilities well."

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION "Do you like this unit?"

SAILOR "Yes, I am very proud of it."

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION "It must require very high technical skills to operate a submarine like this."

SAILOR "Yes, it is quite demanding."

President Xi also went into the cabin and the battle station, where he learned more about technical and tactical performance of weapons and ammunition. Back outside, he urged the crew to continue to improve their effectiveness.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION "Submarines are important for a country. I hope everyone here will contribute to a stronger navy and submarine force."

After watching a training simulation, Xi quizzed the soldiers about sonar sound recognition and gave them a thumbs up for correct answers.

XI JINPING CHINESE PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE CENTRAL MILITARY COMMISSION "It needs talent to do that. They are really good."

In a meeting with senior officers, President Xi called for more intense training and supervision of military development. Xi stressed that the military must uphold the absolute leadership of the party and continue to fight against corruption. He said the armed forces should develop a good relationship with civilians and coordinate with local governments. CGTN.