China prepares for war amid coronavirus pandemic

New Delhi : What could be worse than fighting coronavirus pandemic? A war with China amid the coronavirus crisis situation; Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday ordered China’s armed forces to strengthen training of troops and to be ready for war.

State media reports quoted the Chinese premier as saying that it was important to “comprehensively strengthen the training of troops and prepare for war”, “resolutely safeguard national sovereignty” and “safeguard the overall strategic stability of the country”.

Xi Jinpings statement comes at a crucial time when China's ties with the US are getting tensed, especially over the forced implementation of the national security law in a bid to reunify Taiwan.

Two days back, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi, heavily criticised the efforts of some US politicians to fabricate rumours and stigmatise China to blame it for the pandemic.

The US, Wang said, is pushing relations with China to “the brink of a new Cold War”. Chinese state councillor and foreign minister also rejected US “lies” over the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, tension is also increasing with India at LAC where soldiers from both the sides are on a standoff.

Both armies are said to have deployed additional troops in sensitive areas along the boundary with experts predicting a lengthy standoff.

Xi, who chairs China’s powerful Central Military Commission (CMC), made the comments at a meeting of the delegation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF) on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s parliament.

Xi added that it was necessary to make preparations for military struggle, “…to flexibly carry out actual combat military training, and to comprehensively improve our military’s ability to carry out military missions”.