President Xi Jinping orders Chinese military to be ready

China President Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the army to enhance its combat readiness to make sure it is always ready for a battle, saying risks and challenges are on the rise as the world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century, state media reported on Saturday.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA), the world's largest with two million troops, last year doubled the training period for new recruits from three to six months to improve combat capabilities.

President Xi, who also heads the PLA besides the ruling Communist Party, told a meeting of the Central Military Commission (CMC) that "the world is facing a period of major changes never seen in a century, and China is still in an important period of strategic opportunity for development". Preparedness is vital in the era of drastic changes, unpredictable risks, Xi said.

He ordered the armed forces to continue strengthening their combat preparedness and to make sure they are always ready for battle. The entire armed forces should have a correct understanding of China's security and development trends, enhance their awareness of danger, crisis and war, and make solid efforts on combat preparations to accomplish tasks, Xi said.

Law passed to 'Sinicize' Islam
Beijing has passed a law to "implement measures to Sinicize" Islam within the next five years. The move came after Chinese government officials met with representatives from eight Islamic associations. "(The officials) agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion."

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