A lengthy PLA Daily article on May 23, 2016,  summarising Chinese President Xi Jinping's vision for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) said he had ordered the military to boost its battlefield capabilities and address its weaknesses to cope with the more complicated security challenges caused by the nation’s growing stature in the world. Xi Jinping said if nothing was done to improve the force’s capabilities it would not be able to deal with the growing national security risks associated with the country’s ­rising economic might. The article said “There is still a big gap ­between the modernisation of our army and the demands of ­national security. The gap ­between our army and other ­advanced militaries in the world is still very large,” adding that “There would be serious political implications if our army could not win a war in the battlefield.” It quoted Xi Jinping as ordering the army to better integrate its units to improve combat readiness and emphasise the leadership of the Communist Party. Xi Jinping said “Obedience to the party’s command is the first priority for building the army, and the lifeline of the army” and “If we do not stick to this, the army would become a loser no matter how hard it worked on ­other things.”