China yesterday termed as “wild guess” reports that President Xi Jinping’s comments asking the PLA to improve its ability to win a regional war were made in the context of the border stand-off with India, and said the leadership of the two countries have reached a consensus to solve the boundary dispute through friendly consultations.
“You said Indian media are asking this question but I believe that this may be a wild guess,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a media briefing here when asked about the context of Xi’s remarks.
Xi on Monday asked the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to be combat ready to win a “regional war” and make sure that all decisions from the central leadership are strictly followed, PTI reported. “Headquarters of all PLA forces should improve their combat readiness and sharpen their ability to win a regional war in the age of information technology,” Xi, who returned from India last week after a three-day visit, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. Asked about reports of presence of Chinese troops in the Ladakh region, Hua said “we have noted such reports.”