Xi Jinping Orders Military Modernization Ahead of PLA Anniversary

President Xi Jinping presided over a Political Bureau group study session of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on July 31, 2026, to outline the high-quality modernization of national defense. Ahead of the People's Liberation Army founding anniversary on August 1, Xi directed the military to make decisive progress toward its 2027 centenary goals.

Xi emphasized the creation of an intelligent military system by integrating unmanned intelligent technologies and network information systems. He identified combat capabilities as the ultimate objective and primary testing criterion for the modernization of the armed forces. To support these goals, the session included a lecture from Sun Zhengcai of the Central Military Commission strategic planning office on promoting military modernization.

Beyond technology, Xi demanded the Communist Party of China maintain absolute leadership over the armed forces, stating that the military must remain under party command. He called for intensified anti-corruption purges and improved supervision of major military projects to ensure integrity. These directives come amid varying U.S. intelligence assessments regarding China's strategic intentions toward Taiwan by 2027.