President Xi Jinping has called on China's military forces to uphold the traditions of the historic Red Army. He made this comment while inspecting the 16^th Group Army of the Shenyang Military Area Command on Saturday in Changchun, Jilin Province.

According to Xi, the influence of corrupt officials - such as Xu Caihou - must be erased and replaced with the ideals of the army that won the Chinese civil war, state media reported.

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Xi, who is the head of the Central Military Commission, has championed a widely applauded anti-graft campaign since taking office. This unprecedented anti-corruption drive has led to the fall of many top officials. One of them is Xu Caihou. Xu was the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission before he was accused of bribery and expelled from the Communist Party. He died of bladder cancer earlier in the year before he could face trial.

Xi has expressed the opinion that the effects of Xu's actions is "all-encompassing and deep-rooted" in the army. He explained that top military officials must set an example for other soldiers to follow and protect the interests of their subordinates.

Xi additionally emphasized the importance of strict training and ideological grounding to ensure that the military is disciplined and combat ready. He further highlighted on the importance of proper management and adapting the country's military training system to modern challenges.

The visit by President Xi to the 430,000-strong military area command in charge of defending the country's restive border with North Korea has led to speculations. Earlier in the week, President Xi also made a rare visit to the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture of China, which has a sizeable Korean population. According to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency, it is likely that Xi is looking to improve relations with North Korea.

China has reportedly extended an invitation to the South Korean and North Korean military, as well as the heads of both countries, to attend the 70^th anniversary of the Second World War in Beijing this September. It is unclear if the invitations would be honored.

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