China's Xi doubles down on political control over armed forces

China's President Xi Jinping on Friday doubled down on Communist Party (CPC) having "absolute" control over the Chinese military, urging the country's armed forces to enhance combat readiness.

Reinforcing the CPC's control over the armed forces "serves as a vital political guarantee towards achieving the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army (PLA)," he said.

Xi, also the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made these remarks during a two-day meeting on party building and the armed forces in Beijing, Xinhua News reported.

Xi called for party organizations at all levels, including maintaining absolute party leadership over the military and strengthening combat readiness.

This plan targets the PLA's centenary goals by 2027, marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, full modernization of defense and armed forces by 2035, and transforming the armed forces into world-class by the mid-21st century.

The centenary goals of the PLA focus on strengthening strategic capabilities to defend China's sovereignty, security, and development interests.