Advertisement Tokyo: As China won the first of its four Olympic gold medals on Friday, President Xi Jinping was addressing a politburo meeting in Beijing. The meeting’s goal was to discuss modernising China’s military, a long-held ambition of the Chinese leader. “We should do a good job in arming officers and soldiers with the thought of socialism with Chinese characteristics and ensure that the army is absolutely loyal, pure and reliable,” he said. “A strong country must have a strong military. Only a strong military can ensure national security.” China’s Bao Shanju and Zhong Tiansh wear Mao pins on the dias on Monday.