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China vows to modernize army and expand military might

The Chinese government will honor traditions and improve methods of combat and professional training of soldiers and officers

© Zha Chunming/Xinhua via AP

BEIJING, October 18. /TASS/. China’s authorities plan to actively modernize the army and boost the potential of forces, Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the opening of the 19th Communist Party’s Congress on Wednesday.

"We will do our utmost to enhance defensive capacity and modernization of China’s Armed Forces," the Chinese leader said.

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The government will honor the army traditions and improve the methods of combat and professional training of soldiers and officers. "China’s reforms in national defense allowed achieving a historic breakthrough…The Chinese People’s Liberation Army is steadily moving towards ‘socialism with Chinese specifics,’" he stressed.

"The authorities will make all efforts to ensure that by 2035 China will have a modern army with defensive power," he said. "Finally, by the middle of this century this country will have the most advanced forces in the world."

Some 2,280 delegates are attending the forum, which will last until October 24. The Congress will consider the result of the party’s work over the past five years and discuss economic and political situation in China and other countries, and outline a strategic line of development in the republic for the coming years. After the forum, the party is expected to unveil the new members of its top bodies - the Politburo, its Standing Committee and the Central Committee.

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