Xi stresses military headquarters' loyalty to Party

BEIJING, Sept. 22-- President Xi Jinping stressed the loyalty of headquarters of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting with PLA chiefs of staff here on Monday.

Headquarters of PLA forces must have absolute loyalty and firm faith in the Communist Party of China, guarantee a smooth chain of command and make sure all decisions from the central leadership are fully implemented, said Xi, also chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Headquarters of all PLA forces should improve their combat readiness and sharpen their ability to win a regional war in the age of information technology, he said.

The PLA chiefs of staff met in Beijing on Sunday, discussing how to improve the efficiency of military command under new circumstances. Fang Fenghui, chief of the PLA general staff, attended the meeting.

Military commanders should have a better understanding of international and domestic security situations as well as the latest military development, Xi said.

They should also strictly discipline themselves and the armies as well as contribute to the reform of national defense, he added.

At Sunday's meeting, PLA chiefs of staff focused on streamlining the operational headquarters of all PLA forces with information technology and revised several important protocols, according to a statement issued afterwards.

All PLA forces should follow the instructions of President Xi and update their operations to meet new goals and missions set by the CMC, the statement said.