Making their public debut, DF-17 missiles join the National Day parade in Beijing on October 1, 2019. Photo: Zhang Haichao/GT

Xi Jinping on Sunday stressed further modernizing national defense and the military at the opening session of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), with analysts saying that the modernization will involve the informatization and intelligentization of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the PLA's enhanced capability in safeguarding the country's security.

Xi said achieving the goals for the centenary of the PLA in 2027 and more quickly elevating the people's armed forces to world-class standards are strategic tasks for building a modern socialist country in all respects, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

The CPC will intensify troop training and enhance combat preparedness across the board, strengthen all-around military governance, and consolidate and enhance integrated national strategies and strategic capabilities, Xi said.

Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Sunday that a key point of the military's modernization is the informatization and intelligentization of the PLA.

The modernization will be reflected in terms of military theories, the organizational form of the military, military personnel as well as weapons and equipment, Song said.

We will innovate the guidance of military strategy, develop strategies and tactics of people's war, build a strong system of strategic deterrent forces, raise the presence of combat forces in new domains and of new qualities, and deeply promote combat-oriented military training, Xi said.

Song said that the strong system of deterrent forces may refer to the strategic nuclear force. "We need to enhance its capabilities, as it is a vital strategic support to prevent war," he said.

The combat force in new domains and of new qualities means that weapons and equipment of high quality will be used in more domains, Song said. 

Xi also said that "We will strengthen Party building across the board in the people's armed forces to ensure that they always obey the Party's command." 

The Party will improve the institutions and mechanisms for implementing the system of ultimate responsibility resting with the chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi said.

Xi said the CPC will strengthen Party organizations in the people's armed forces, carry out regular activities and put in place institutions to improve the military's political work, and make unremitting efforts to improve conduct, enforce discipline and combat corruption in the military, Xinhua reported.