BEIJING, July 31 -- An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on modernizing national defense and the armed forces will be published on Thursday.

The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year's 15th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

Thursday marks China's Army Day. The country will celebrate the 97th founding anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) this year.

Developing a world-class military at a faster pace is a strategic task for building a modern socialist country in all respects, the article says.

The article highlights the need to uphold the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, boost the integration of the military's mechanization, informatization and intelligent advancement, and accelerate the modernization of its organizational forms, personnel and weaponry.

The article calls for enhancing training and combat preparedness of the military to ensure it can fight and win wars.

The PLA is a heroic force that enjoys the full trust of the Party and the people, says the article, adding that the PLA has the confidence and capability to safeguard China's sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and make greater contributions to world peace and development.