Amid the military stand-off with India in Doklam, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday said the Chinese army is capable of defeating invading enemies.
Addressing the military parade to mark the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army at Zhurihe in Inner Mongolia, Xi, who was clad in military fatigues, said he wanted the world’s largest army to be the strongest to safeguard global peace.
"I firmly believe that our gallant military has both confidence and ability to defeat all invading enemies," said Xi, who commands the world's largest army of 2.3 million.
China's state-run media, experts, and former diplomats have denounced as "invasion" the presence of Indian troops in Doklam, which is disputed between Bhutan and China.
In June, Indian troops had stopped the PLA from constructing a road in Doklam, which is also claimed by its ally Bhutan. This triggered stand-off, which is now in its second month.
In his speech at the parade, which was held for the first time on Army Day since the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi said the PLA was combat-ready.
Our military has the confidence and ability to write a new chapter in building a strong military and make new contributions towards the realisation of China’s dream of great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and safeguarding world peace.
After the Communist Party, the PLA is China's second most powerful institution. "The world is not all at peace, and peace must be safeguarded," said Xi.
In 2015, Xi, who favours a lean army, announced a reduction of 3,00,000 troops. This month, an online news portal run by the PLA said the present force of 2.3 million will be whittled down to below 1 million.
(With inputs from IANS.)
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