CHONGQING, April 25 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for building world-class military medical universities, stressing that they should serve the battlefield and troops, and embrace the future.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection at the Army Medical University on Tuesday.

Stressing the need to implement the thinking on strengthening the military for the new era, Xi urged the university to improve its running and talent cultivation, and enhance its medical support capability.

During the inspection, Xi learned about the university's basic information and the key discipline concerning battlefield medical treatment.

As a reorganized institution established in 2017, the university has accomplished a series of major tasks including medical support for military struggle and COVID-19 prevention and control. Xi acknowledged the university's efforts in boosting development and completing tasks.

Xi met with representatives of officers and soldiers of the university and had a group photo with them.

He underscored the importance of fostering virtue and developing combat capabilities, as well as vigorously promoting innovation in military medical scientific research to gain an edge in the frontiers.

Xi stressed exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance and carrying out Party discipline education.

Work should be done to advance law-based governance and tighten education management, said Xi, calling for concerted efforts to open up new horizons for university development.