Xi stresses grassroots consolidation in building army

KUNMING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed strengthening grassroots units in building a stronger army when addressing troops based in Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), told the solders that they should follow the instructions of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the CMC, and make efforts to consolidate the basis of army building and promote army building at grassroots level.

Xi was in the province for an inspection tour, which lasted from Jan 19 to 21, his first domestic inspection tour in 2015.

During the tour, Xi addressed poverty reduction, environmental protection, disaster relief and other agendas. He sought to rally support for a "tough battle" against poverty, and to speed up growth in the country's relatively underdeveloped ethnic regions.