Senior PLA officer urges 'mass line' to lift combat preparedness

A senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer has called for better implementation of the "mass line" campaign as part of efforts to build a strong military and boost the PLA combat preparedness.

Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while inspecting the naval troops in south China's Guangdong Province.

The "mass line" refers to a guideline under which the Communist Party of China (CPC) demanded its members prioritize the interests of the people. The "mass line" campaign was launched in June 2013 to strengthen ties between CPC members and the people.

Fan, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged the army to carry out criticism and self-criticism in order to get rid of formalism in drills.

Troops should intensify military training and improve their fighting and information capabilities to safeguard the country's sovereignty, security and interests, he said.