Enhance use of AI to develop 'intelligent military': Xi Jinping tells PLA

Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the armed forces to enhance use of AI as part of a drive to develop an "intelligent military system" and asked them to enhance combat capabilities as a testing criterion for promoting high-quality modernisation.

Speaking ahead of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) 99th anniversary celebrated on Saturday, Xi said the military has made "significant progress" in modernisation and called for "decisive" advances to achieve its objectives.

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Xi, who also heads the military, told a Politburo group study session on Thursday that the PLA should "strengthen the military application of unmanned intelligent technologies, deepen the development and application of network information systems, and gradually build an intelligent military system", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Unmanned technologies broadly mean AI tools.

Combat capabilities remain the ultimate objective and testing criterion for promoting the high-quality modernisation of national defence and the armed forces, Xi said.

It is vital to strengthen the systematic integration of combat capabilities, conduct rigorous combat-oriented test and evaluation and bolster military training and combat readiness, thereby effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests, he said.

Xi heads the Central Military Commission, which is the overall high command of the PLA. Since he took over power in 2012, Xi has increased real time exercises to test their strength.

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Since 2012, he said, the PLA made historic achievements and undergoing historic transformations in the cause of building a strong military.

He called for efforts to fulfil the goals for the centenary of the PLA in 2027 and make "decisive progress" in realising the modernisation of national defence and the armed forces.

He said the PLA should provide strong strategic support for advancing the cause of building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernisation.

It is imperative to uphold and strengthen the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces and fully implement the policy of enhancing political loyalty in the military in the new era, he said.

Xi also urged efforts to continue the fight against corruption, improve the supervision system for major projects, and ensure that all initiatives are underpinned by quality, capability and integrity.

Since assuming office, Xi has made campaigning against corruption his main political plank, which critics say helped him to consolidate his power. The campaign has resulted in disciplinary actions and punishments to more than a million officials including dozens of top military officials.