Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed on Wednesday to modernize China’s military and aggressively combat corruption within the ruling party during a major address at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Speaking to political and military leaders to mark the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Xi underscored the necessity of a “strong military” to safeguard national sovereignty and swore to maintain the party’s “absolute leadership” over the armed forces.
The remarks follow an intense, years-long anti-graft campaign that has gutted the military’s top echelons, resulting in the removal of multiple high-profile generals and defense ministers over the past three years. Addressing the country’s estimated 101 million party members, Xi emphasized that the CCP must resolutely wage a “critical, protracted, and comprehensive battle against corruption” to preserve internal discipline and governance.
During his 40-minute speech, the Chinese leader also projected international confidence, presenting China’s rapid industrialization as a viable modernization model for developing nations. Furthermore, Xi mirrored past themes by reiterating Beijing’s commitment to achieving “complete reunification” with Taiwan, pledging to firmly crack down on independence separatist forces and oppose external interference as the military targets its centenary goals by 2027.
