China’s Xi hails air force for its ‘important role’ in combat system

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China’s President Xi Jinping has hailed the “important role” of the country’s air force, stressing fulfilling the requirements to build a “strong, modernized” force, state media reported on Tuesday.

Xi made the comments during an inspection of Airborne Force in central Hubei province on Monday.

The Chinese president stressed that the airborne force “plays a particularly important role in our military's power system and combat system.”

“We must thoroughly strengthen the army, implement strategic guidelines, (fulfill) requirements of Air Force's transformation and construction, comprehensively strengthen training and preparation, improve airborne combat capabilities, and strive to build a strong modern airborne force,” said Xi, who is also chairman of China’s Central Military Commission.

Xi’s inspection of the Air Force station in Hubei province comes a week ahead of Airshow China which will be held between Nov. 12 and 17 in the southern Chinese city of Zhuhai.

The Chinese military is expected to reveal for first its medium-sized J-35A stealth fighter jet, HQ-19 surface-to-air missile weapon system as well as a new attack reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle during the event.

Last month, during an inspection of a brigade of the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force in eastern Anhui province, Xi had called on troops to strengthen their preparedness for war.

It is a standard practice for the Chinese leader to visit a military headquarter when he undertakes a visit to any province or autonomous region of China, which has world’s second-largest military.

Xi’s stress on strengthening air force comes as China regularly flies military aircraft around Taiwan, which it claims as its “breakaway province.”

Taipei said Tuesday it detected 20 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels operating around the island nation.

China has not ruled out using force to unite the two sides of the Taiwan Strait while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.