'Be combat ready to act at any second': Chinese Prez orders PLA amid standoff with India

Emphasising on 'full-time combat readiness', China’s president Xi Jinping on Monday ordered the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be prepared to act ‘at any second.’ He urged the armed forces to enhance training in real combat conditions in order to ensure readiness at all times.

"PLA must be ready to 'act at any second' and should remain on 'full-time combat readiness. Frontline frictions must be used to polish troop capabilities and training exercises need to incorporate technology," Jinping said.

In his first order of the Central Military Commission (CMC) in 2021, President Xi stressed on reinforcing military training in real combat conditions and the ability to win. This comes amidst a standoff between the Chinese and Indian military in Eastern Ladakh since May 2020, following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley. 

The military force of the Communist Party of China (CPC), must 'resolutely implement' the orders from the CMC and CPC, to mark the 100th anniversary of the party's founding on July 1 with 'excellent performances', he said.

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Xi also suggested a 'substantial increase' in the use of technology in its training to match the latest developments in military and hi-tech knowledge. These included the use of computer simulations, online combat in drills, the exploration of more opportunities to add high technology and internet, in training.

"[The PLA must] increase the integration of new equipment, new forces and new combat realms into training and combat systems," he said.

Recently, China had appointed a new General as the Commander of the People's Liberation Army's Western Theatre Command which oversees the China-India border. President Jinping, who heads the CMC, the overall high-command of the two million-strong PLA, appointed Gen. Zhang Xudong as the Commander of the Western Theatre Command.

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Galwan clashes with India

In June 2020, China had a bitter experience with India in the Galwan Valley where an undisclosed number of PLA soldiers were killed. A violent face-off took place between the Indian and Chinese troops after a sizeable number of PLA soldiers transgressed into the Indian side.

Since taking over as president of China and head of the CMC in 2012, Xi Jinping has consistently forced the PLA to be prepared for war. He also undertook a massive revamping of the PLA in 2015 to modernise the Chinese military, that was planned to complete in 2020.

In order to counter the United States in the South China Sea, the PLA also intensified exercises and fly-by operations by the air force to target Taiwan.

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(With inputs from agency)