Xi urges strategic missile troops to enhance capabilities

President Xi Jinping has urged the country's strategic missile troops to strengthen their deterrence and combat capabilities and resolutely fulfill the tasks entrusted to them by the Party and the people.

Xi, who also is general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks on Thursday while inspecting a brigade of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force.

Xi visited the brigade of strategic missile troops, which has a history of over 50 years, on Thursday morning. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, the brigade has strengthened its training in real combat conditions and accomplished a series of major tasks.

Xi then went to the brigade's training field, where he learned about the tactical and technical performance of the brigade's newly introduced weaponry and equipment and examined its training in operating the arms.

He encouraged the officers and soldiers of the brigade to have good command and make the best use of the weapons in their hands, and live up to the trust of the Party and the people.

Later, Xi was briefed on the work of the brigade and made a speech. He stressed the importance of upholding the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and strengthening Party-building at the primary level.

Xi called for efforts to intensify troop training and enhance combat preparedness across the board, and to improve combat capabilities, in order to effectively safeguard national strategic security and core interests.

He also emphasized the need to strengthen targeted training with new equipment, new skills and new combat methods, improve support and systematically enhance combat capabilities.