Chinese President Xi Jinping inspected troops in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, near the sensitive border with its traditional ally, North Korea, according to China's state media on Friday.
Xi inspected senior military officials and soldiers stationed in Harbin, Heilongjiang's capital, and an outpost on Tuesday and Wednesday, and instructed them to build a "strong army," the official Xinhua News Agency reported from Harbin.
While the report made no mention of North Korea, it was Xi's latest appearance in northeastern Chinese provinces bordering North Korea.
The Chinese defense ministry posted two photos on its website, showing Xi shaking hands with military officials during the visit.
North Korea is China's only military ally, but their political ties remain soured due to the North's defiant pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Xi took power in late 2012, but he has not visited North Korea.(Yonhap)
