BEIJING, April 19 -- The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has set up an information support force.

Chinese President Xi Jinping presented a flag to the force at its establishment ceremony held on Friday in Beijing.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), stressed solid efforts to build a strong and modernized information support force.

Xi said that the establishment of the information support force is a major decision that the CPC Central Committee and the CMC have made in light of the overall need of building a strong military.

Xi stressed that the information support force is a new, strategic branch of the military and a key pillar in coordinating the construction and application of the network information system. It will play a crucial role in advancing the Chinese military's high-quality development and competitiveness in modern warfare.

He ordered the force to resolutely obey the Party's command, and make sure it stays absolutely loyal, pure and reliable.

Xi urged the force to integrate deeply into the Chinese military's joint operation system, carry out information support operations in a precise and effective manner, and facilitate military operations in various directions and fields.

He also urged efforts to build a network information system that fulfills the requirements of modern warfare and features the Chinese military's own characteristics, as well as efforts to accelerate the development of integrated combat capabilities more effectively.

Xi met with members of the leadership of the information support force and had a group photo with them.

According to a decision made by the CMC, the information support force is directly led by the CMC, and the official designation of the Strategic Support Force is canceled.