By ZHAO LEI

Armed forces told to improve exercises, ensure they can win in any possible war

President Xi Jinping ordered the Chinese military on Thursday to further strengthen its combat training and exercises this year.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, signed the commission's first order for 2020 that listed priorities in the training of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force.

The order requested the armed forces to stick to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as their guiding principle and uphold Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, as well as military strategies in the new era.

The military must enhance its troops' combat preparedness, closely observe adversaries' moves, exert ­all-out efforts to improve training and remain on high alert to ensure it is always ready for, and can win in, any possible war, the order said.

Training must be focused on elements leading to victory, and thorough research must be done on operational goals, enemies and the combat environment, it said.

The order required that units must concentrate on their missions and give more attention to emergency-response capabilities. They must also strive to foster the abilities to construct a favorable situation on the front line, control possible crises, and contain or win in a war.

Training and exercises for joint operations must be priorities, it requested, adding that the military must strengthen the participation of civilians and new types of forces in systemic training.

Troops must inject more scientific and technological factors into training and carry out more mobilization drills, according to the document.

More exercises will be organized to examine and test units' command, planning, fighting and logistical capabilities.

The order also stipulated that officers and soldiers must follow training guidelines while the authorities must conduct strict evaluation and supervision of training and also arrange skills contests.

2020 is the third consecutive year that Xi has issued a training order to the Chinese military.

The first such order was issued in January 2018 when the president oversaw and addressed a massive training-commencement ceremony at a shooting range in northern China.

Xi has repeatedly stressed the importance of combat-readiness training and joint operation to the armed forces since he became the commander-in-chief.