PLA military parade focuses on combat readiness

China on Sunday held a grand military parade in Zhurihe, China's biggest military training base, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, in the run up to the 90th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army.

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the formations of soldiers before a display of China's state-of-the-art weaponry.

Unlike previous military parades held in Beijing, where many of the participants were honor guards, the 12,000 participants of Sunday's event were all from combat brigades, from the PLA's Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Strategic Support Force, Armed Police, and other services.

Formalities were kept to the minimum to focus on the PLA's combat readiness to safeguard the country.

99A tanks, Dongfeng-series missiles and the J-20 stealth fighter plane were among the weaponry showcased at the parade, half of which were revealed in the public for the first time.

Addressing the soldiers, Xi said the fundamental principle of the Party's absolute leadership of the military must be upheld, and urged the PLA to enhance modernization through reform, technology and the law.