Chinese President Xi Jinping again called for deeper military-civilian integration and emphasized science and technology innovation as the key to upgrading the technological capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Xi said efforts should be made to provide greater science and technology support for the PLA. He claims significant progress in combat readiness has been achieved since the 18th CPC National Congress in late 2012 when historic breakthrough in national defense and military reform were made.

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Xi is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

"We must have a greater sense of urgency to push for sci-tech innovation and advancement with greater determination and efforts," said Xi.

He called for enhanced top-level design and strategic planning in promoting military-civilian integration in national defense technology and military equipment. He also batted for strengthening military and civilian cooperation in training high-quality military personnel.

Xi urged the PLA to speed-up the transition to better quality and performance with the intensive application of advanced technologies in army building. He pointed out that civil technologies should better serve military purposes.

In addition, efforts to improve the training system of military personnel should also be strengthened to foster a large number of high-quality military talent. Enhancing scientific and technological attainment of officers and men should be a basic requirement for the PLA.

He noted that the CPC Central Committee's decision to establish a central commission for integrated military and civilian development aims to reinforce centralized and unified leadership. Efforts should be made to remove institutional barriers and work out "perfect policies for military and civilian integration."

Last January, Xi called for building a stronger PLA, and ensuring the PLA's fighting power in the event of a war, by creating a new commission to integrate the work of military and civilian experts.

Xi was made head of the newly formed Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian Development, a new organization experts say is vital for China's national defense.

The commission will decide and coordinate affairs on civil-military integration, which will be under the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Civil-military integration is important in building China's national defense in peacetime, said Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army.

"Building national defense depends heavily on the masses. Public support is of great importance to our military."

Some local governments have promoted civil-military integration, but the new central commission will provide uniform orders, he said.

TagsXi Jinping, People's Liberation Army, science and technology innovation, Central Commission for Integrated Military and Civilian Development