President Xi Jinping on Thursday inspected an aviation division of
the People's Liberation Army Air Force stationed in Guizhou province.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China
Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission,
extended New Year's greetings to all airmen and officers of the PLA,
People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel in the military, militia
and reserve forces, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC.
Lunar New Year, the start of Spring Festival, is on Friday.
During the inspection, Xi visited a PLA hospital to learn about the
troops' COVID-19 response as well as their support for local epidemic
control.
Hailing the armed forces' contribution to the fight against the
COVID-19 pandemic, Xi warned of the increased risk of spreading the
virus during the upcoming holiday, which is expected to see more trips
and gatherings.
He asked the military to be ready to support local authorities in
fighting the pandemic to consolidate and develop China's sound momentum
in COVID-19 response.
While inspecting a special aircraft designed for information warfare,
Xi stressed the need to speed up the development of advanced equipment
and cultivation of professionals, strengthen targeted and force-on-force
training and accelerate the upgrading of new combat capabilities.
Learning about the education and training of airmen and officers, Xi
demanded strengthened military training under combat conditions to
continuously improve the capability to win wars.
Xi also inspected cultural and recreational preparations for Spring Festival.
He called on the military to resolutely implement the decisions and
instructions of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, follow regular
epidemic prevention and control measures and comprehensively advance
military training and war preparedness so as to mark the CPC centenary
with outstanding achievements.