BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned that the military must fight corruption and “unhealthy tendencies”, state media reported on Tuesday (Nov 5); Beijing has deepened its crackdown on alleged corruption in the armed forces in recent months.

Speaking to troops in central China’s Hubei province, Xi said the military should “seriously investigate and combat corruption and unhealthy tendencies among officers and soldiers,” according to the military-backed PLA Daily newspaper.

State media said Xi inspected weapons and received a briefing at the Chinese air force headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

“(We) must keep our duties and missions in mind, increase our sense of combat readiness, and tighten our military combat preparations,” Xi told soldiers in the city of Xiaogan. he said.

Xi has overseen a wide-ranging crackdown on official corruption since taking power nearly a decade ago — which has spread to the military — but critics have said it has served as a way to purge political rivals.

Last October, former defense minister Li Shangfu dismissed after seven months in office after a long period away from the public eye.

China’s navy on Monday also warned officers against online dating scams and gambling and warned soldiers not to let their guard down in a social media post aimed at soldiers born in the 1990s and 2000s.

“Officers and soldiers must be alert at all times,” he said in a post on his official WeChat account.

“Don’t lose your principles.”