Xi Jinping tells army not to fear death in show of China's military might
Speaking at a military assembly in the northern province of Hebei, Xi told about 7,000 service men and women they should fear "neither hardship nor death" as they implemented the Communist party's orders.
Comment: The 'communist party orders' are no different to those of most other armies in the world - well, except the US and EU armies which are primarily used to further western imperialism and continue their war of terror in the Middle East.
The military should "create an elite and powerful force that is always ready for the fight, capable of combat and sure to win in order to fulfill the tasks bestowed by the Party and the people in the new era," added Xi, who was recently anointed one of modern China's most powerful rulers.
"As Xi Jinping announced his instructions, there was prolonged and thunderous applause," the party's official newspaper, the People's Daily, reported in a front-page story, alongside a photograph showing Xi clad in combat fatigues and black leather gloves.
The newspaper claimed troops had gathered in 4,000 separate locations across China to hear their commander-in-chief's decree. Turning to the scarlet flag of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), they vowed to "resolutely obey Chairman Xi's order".
© Xinhua/REX/ShutterstockThe official People’s Daily newspaper said troops had gathered in 4,000 separate locations to hear President Xi’s speech.
"This is the first time since the founding of the country that instructions on military training have been directly issued by the chairman of the CMC [Central Military Commission], and it shows that improving combat readiness is now a strategic mission for the Chinese military," Xu Guangyu, a retired major general, told the newspaper.
The event comes amid rumbling fears of a potential conflagration over the border in North Korea. On Wednesday US president Donald Trump used Twitter to taunt the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, and his "depleted and food-starved regime".
"I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!" Trump wrote.
I believe China hides military data from outside observers. And the supposed amount of troops and infantry is underestimated. The true amount is difficult to calculate. If NATO accounts to less than 4 million soldiers, China could have as much as 40+ million. I assume most of them could be counted as “reserves”.
Some believe the drums of war is just all propaganda. Noise to distract people while pushing a hidden agenda. Like a Cold War 2.0, against Russia and China. But as an observer I prefer to look at history. World Wars happened. The insane War on Terror continues after 16 years. So better to prepare for a conflict, rather than wait for sanity to return the world.