BEIJING -- A senior Chinese military official has called on military officers to adopt "real combat criteria" in military training so as to meet future wartime needs in the information age.

Fan Changlong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), made the remarks during a recent inspection tour of the Beijing Military Area Command and a division of the Air Force.

He urged the military to innovate training by helping officers and soldiers to master information technology, as well as use IT-based weaponry, in order to modernize the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

He also stressed the stability of the armed forces and their "absolute loyalty" to the Communist Party of China (CPC) during the tour.

Fan, who is also a Political Bureau member of the CPC Central Committee, urged military officers and soldiers to build a strong force.

He vowed to severely punish the officers and soldiers who commit discipline violations related to extravagance, formalism and corruption.