Chinese President Xi Jinping Thursday stressed the "urgent" need to build a powerful navy during a surprise visit to observe naval exercises in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported as the country prepares for live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. The region has become a potential flashpoint, with the US saying China's activities in the area pose a threat to freedom of navigation in the strategically vital waterway, where Beijing has built an archipelago of artificial islands capable of hosting military equipment.
Footage of Xi's visit on state broadcaster CCTV showed the president watching jets taking off from China's sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and joining sailors for a meal.
In a speech to the assembled troops, Xi said China's task to build a powerful navy "has never been as urgent as it is today". His visit comes as Washington engages in its own muscle flexing in the region, where the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt gave a demonstration Tuesday for members of the Philippine government.