Xi Alerts Military “Be Prepared To Respond” In Current “Unstable & Uncertain” Situation

During the major annual legislative session in Beijing on Tuesday President Xi Jinping addressed top leaders of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), telling the military it must be “prepared to respond” in increasingly difficult and complex security challenges facing the nation. 

“The current security situation of our country is largely unstable and uncertain,” Xi said in the address which comes two days after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gave his own fiery warning to the same assembly saying the US is “crossing lines” and “playing with fire” on Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.

President Xi continued: “The entire military must coordinate the relationship between capacity building and combat readiness, be prepared to respond to a variety of complex and difficult situations at any time, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, and provide strong support for the comprehensive construction of a modern socialist state,” according to the South China Morning Post. 

Xi, who also serves as head of the Central Military Commission further affirmed the need for “high-level strategic deterrence and a joint combat system” and rapid defense tech innovation 

His words were in agreement with the assessment of Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe who on Saturday once again urged a boost in combat readiness across the armed forces, saying that national security had “entered a high-risk phase”.

“We are facing mounting tasks in national defense… and we must comprehensively improve military training and preparedness for battle so as to increase our strategic capabilities to prevail over our strong enemies,” the nation’s top general said.

A particular example that’s been front and center at the ongoing meetings are recent US and Western allied naval maneuvers in an near China-claimed waters. In the China FM’s comments, Wang pointed out, “The US and other Western countries frequently stir up troubles in the region, trying to drive a wedge using the South China Sea issue. They have only one purpose: to sabotage peace and disturb regional stability,” Wang said.

His remarks in particular emphasized a warlike tone of battling “hegemony, high-handedness and bullying” from the United Sates and its allies, and “outright interference in China’s domestic affairs” in places like Hong Kong and Taiwan.