BEIJING - A senior Chinese military official on Friday ordered the strengthening of disciplinary inspections in the armed forces.

Zhang Youxia, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, said the inspections would provide a strong political and disciplinary underpinning for building a strong military.

Zhang told representatives from the services and the armed police that the inspections should focus on "upholding absolute Party leadership over the military, obey the Party's command, strengthen Party building in all aspects in the military and exercise full and rigorous governance over the Party."

He said leading officials should oversee the work "to make inspections sharper and more powerful to serve as a constant deterrence."