Chinese President Xi Jinping said on July 6 that the People's Liberation Army must be prepared to "dare to fight" and "resolutely defend" national security, according to state media.

The remarks came during an inspection of the Eastern Theatre Command of the PLA. The visit follows a flurry of diplomatic activity between China and the United States — Taiwan's main security backer — and comes as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is visiting Beijing for economic talks.

China considers Taiwan part of its own territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, if necessary by force. During his speech, Mr. Xi urged military representatives to "be good at fighting" and "accelerate the improvement in our capacity to win".

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between the US and China over Taiwan's status. Beijing held large-scale military exercises in response to a visit to the island by then House speaker Nancy Pelosi last year.

In April, Chinese forces conducted drills simulating a blockade of the island after Kevin McCarthy, Pelosi's successor, held talks with Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen in California. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about China's "provocative" actions towards Taiwan during a visit to Beijing last month, the first such trip by a US secretary of state in five years.

However, China's top diplomat Wang Yi said there was "no room to compromise" on the issue. Yellen's visit is seen as a bid to stabilise economic ties between the two countries. It remains to be seen whether the visit will have any impact on the long-standing tensions between China and the US over Taiwan.