Xi Jinping vows to build China’s military into ‘Great Wall of steel’
Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping Monday vowed to build the military into a “Great Wall of steel” to protect the country’s sovereignty and sought a bigger role for Beijing in global affairs, days after brokering a Saudi Arabia-Iran deal, regarded as a diplomatic coup.
Speaking for the first time in his precedent-breaking third term as head of state, Xi called on the nation to uphold the leadership of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) headed by him.
Xi, 69, also vowed to build the military into a “Great Wall of Steel” to protect China’s sovereignty, amidst growing tensions with the US and some neighbouring countries.
Speaking at the conclusion of the annual session of the Chinese legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), Xi stressed upholding the leadership of the CPC and the centralised, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the main policy body of the party.
Xi is regarded as the core leader’ of the party very much like the party founder Mao Zedong.
He was endorsed by the rubber-stamp Parliament last week as the President and head of the Central Military Commission (CMC) the high command of the Chinese military, marking the beginning of his new five-year term.
He was elected as the head of the CPC for an unprecedented third term in October last year, the only leader to have more than two five-year terms after Mao. He was the only leader to have a third five-year term while all his predecessors retired after two five-year terms.
