Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, listens to the work report of the 79th Group Army of the People's Liberation Army and delivers a speech on Sept 27, 2018. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi visited the training ground of an aviation brigade of the Group Army and looked delighted to hear about the innovation in command and coordination, battle strategy and equipment update.

He inspected the weapons and equipment of the armed forces and asked detailed questions about attack helicopters.

Wearing a special helmet, Xi boarded a Z-10 helicopter, the third-generation of China's home-developed attack helicopters, and manipulated the airborne weapon and aiming system.

Xi went on the control tower of an airport to observe military drills. Dozens of helicopters took part in the drills, which included low altitude flights, aerial reconnaissance and air assaults. He used binoculars at times to take a closer look, and also met with officers at the Group Army's headquarters.