Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks when attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the fourth session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, on March 9 (XINHUA) 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), attended a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing on March 9. He stressed that efforts are needed to achieve a good start in strengthening national defense and the armed forces during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). Edited excerpts of Xi's speeches on strengthening the military and national defense since 2019 follow:   

Currently, we face great instabilities and uncertainties in national security. 

Excerpts from Xi's speech at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 13th NPC on March 9, 2021   

The armed forces must ensure both military strength and combat readiness, always be ready to cope with all kinds of complex and difficult situations. 

Excerpts from Xi's speech at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 13th NPC on March 9, 2021   

We must step up efforts to create high-caliber strategic deterrence and enhance joint operation systems.   

Excerpts from Xi's speech at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 13th NPC on March 9, 2021  

Innovation in defense-related science and technology must be significantly boosted. 

Excerpts from Xi's speech at a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 13th NPC on March 9, 2021   

We must develop new combat forces and create new combat capabilities.  

Excerpts from Xi's speech at a CMC meeting on military work on January 4, 2019  

VOICE 

Defense technologies, weaponry and equipment are all vital to the existence and development of a nation. China should persevere in pursuing self-reliant, independent innovation in order to ensure that core and key defense technologies are held in its own hands.  

Sources: Xinhua News Agency, Xi Jinping: The Governance of China III and Guangming Daily