On September 3, 2020, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the troops of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) stationed along the India-China border in the eastern Ladakh region. During his visit, he inspected the troops’ combat readiness and gave a speech praising their performance. Xi urged the troops to stay alert and “guard the border firmly, protect China’s sovereignty and security, and maintain regional peace and stability”. He also expressed his confidence in the PLA’s ability to “win any battle”, and said that the troops should be prepared for any situation. This visit comes amid heightened tensions between India and China at the border and is being seen as a sign of China’s intent to strengthen its military presence in the region.