BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping has underscored the importance of combating corruption and strengthening discipline within the military, alongside advancing its information warfare capabilities, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Thursday.
Xi highlighted the need for the military to remain “absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable” amidst an ongoing anti-corruption campaign that has led to the removal of at least nine generals and multiple defense industry executives since last year.
During his first inspection of the newly established Information Warfare Department, Xi noted the increasing prominence of network information systems in modern combat, describing the unit as a “combat force” essential to China’s military modernization efforts.
The department, part of the largest restructuring of China’s armed forces since 2015, focuses on safeguarding military information systems from cyber and electronic warfare threats, signaling the Communist Party’s commitment to non-conventional warfare strategies.