Xi Jinping Tells PLA To 'Focus' On 'Preparation For War' Ahead Of Biden Meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping has told the People's Liberation Army to "focus" on preparing for a war in an apparent escalation of tensions with Taiwan.

Chinese state media People's Daily on Wednesday published pictures of Xi sporting an army uniform during his visit to the joint operations command center of the Central Military Commission (CMC).

Xi, who recently secured a historic third term as general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, told the military to "devote all its energy to and carry out all its work for combat readiness, enhance its capability to fight and win and effectively fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era," according to People's Daily.

Xi stressed that China's national security is facing increased instability and uncertainty.

The Chinese leader added that troops should "resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests," the report said.

Willy Lam, a senior fellow at the United States-based think tank Jamestown Foundation, told The Guardian that Xi is "sending a message" to the U.S. and Taiwan. He added that the Chinese president's decision-making process was "not always based on rational calculation."

Xi's statement came days before he and President Joe Biden are expected to meet on Monday on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia.

The sit-down will be the first in-person meeting of the two world leaders since Biden took office in 2021.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Biden-Xi meeting would clarify matters between the two countries.

"The leaders will discuss efforts to maintain and deepen lines of communication between the United States and the [People's Republic of China], responsibly manage competition, and work together where our interests align, especially on transnational challenges that affect the international community. The two leaders will also discuss a range of regional and global issues," Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

An unnamed senior Biden administration official told CNN that they believe the meeting would not be able to solve their differences, but it might reduce misunderstandings between Biden and Xi.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday that the Biden administration would brief Taiwan on the results of the President's meeting with Xi in a bid to make Taipei feel "secure and comfortable" about U.S. support.

China cut off dialogues with the U.S. after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made an unprecedented visit to Taiwan in August.

The visit reportedly led the PLA to mobilize their warships and jets near the Taiwan Strait to show China's opposition to Pelosi's move.