Chinese President Xi Jinping wants ‘absolute loyalty’ from Army

Beijing (China): Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday demanded “absolute loyalty” from PLA’s top brass, asking them to repose “firm faith” in the ruling Communist Party, guarantee a smooth chain of command and make sure all decisions are executed.

“Headquarters of PLA forces must have absolute loyalty and firm faith in the Communist Party of China, guarantee a smooth chain of command and make sure all decisions from the central leadership are fully implemented,” said Xi, chairman of the Central Military Commission and the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

“Headquarters of all People’s Liberation Army forces should improve their combat readiness and sharpen their ability to win a regional war in the age of information technology,” Xi, who returned from India last week after a three-day visit, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency.

All PLA forces should follow the instructions of President Xi and update their operations to meet new goals and missions set by the CMC, an official statement said.

It is not yet clear why the emphasis was made on absolute loyalty and to follow the orders to ensure smooth chain of command. Xi’s directives come in the midst of a standoff between the PLA and Indian troops in Chumar area in Ladakh region along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The military standoff took a strange new turn on Sunday with the PLA pitching seven tents well within the marked Indian territory and showed no signs of withdrawing from the territory.

President Xi, 61, acquired the image of China’s most powerful leader after Deng Xiaoping, who succeeded Mao, as he headed the Presidency, the Communist Party of China and military from day one of coming to power unlike his predecessor Hu Jintao.

Since then, Xi has been busy reshuffling the military postings of the generals loyal to him at the top and has removed and prosecuted some top PLA generals over allegations of corruption and fraud.