DHARAMSHALA, January 15: In new military directives issued by the Chinese government for the year 2013, the largest army in the world has been told to prepare for war and bolster its ability to win a battle based on rigorous training on an actual combat basis.

The directive was made public in a military newspaper, People's Liberation Army Daily, which referred to a training blueprint issued by the PLA's Department of the General Staff for the entire force. The directive comes amid heightened tensions between China and Japan over territorial disputes in the East China Sea.