CHENGDU -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to speed up efforts to boost the modernization of the armed forces.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks on Wednesday in Southwest China's Sichuan province while inspecting the air force of the Western Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Xi made the inspection tour ahead of China's Army Day, which falls on Aug 1.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the CMC, Xi extended sincere greetings to all the officers and soldiers of the air force of the command, as well as festival greetings to service personnel of the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force, civilian personnel posted in the military, and members of militia and reserve forces.

It is imperative to remain committed to accomplishing the various tasks entrusted by the Party and the people, Xi said.

Xi stressed the need to enhance military preparedness and ensure airspace security by thoroughly carrying out regular air defense.

Xi demanded an accelerated pace of pushing new equipment and forces to form combat forces. The new equipment and forces should be integrated into the current combat systems, he added.

Xi also called for continuous efforts to carry out training under real combat conditions.

The Party must maintain leadership over the armed forces in ideological, political, and organizational terms, Xi said.

Xi ordered strict steps to improve Party conduct and enforce Party discipline, and concrete efforts to carry out the education campaign among the armed forces to break new ground for its development.

Senior military official He Weidong took part in the inspection.