Jun Zheng: Forging Victorious Progress Under the Guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Strengthening the Military

Since the 18th Party Congress, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on the realization of the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, has led the entire military in deep theoretical exploration and practical creation. This process has formed Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, which has been continuously enriched and developed, guiding the people's army to write new chapters of the era on the path of Chinese-path modernization in strengthening the military. At an important military conference following the 20th Party Congress, Chairman Xi Jinping, closely integrating the characteristics of the New Era and practical developments, further provided a systematic elaboration of this Thought. This deepened our Party's grasp of the laws governing basic issues in the military field and centrally reflected the practical experience and crystallized wisdom of building and governing the military in the New Era. On the new journey of the New Era, we must study and comprehend Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military comprehensively and accurately, implement it unwaveringly, continuously gather the majestic force for strengthening and revitalizing the military, and push the cause of strengthening the military further forward.

I. Deeply understanding the great significance of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military

The key reason why the people's army has continuously grown and expanded lies in its steadfast adherence to the guidance of advanced military theory. Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military is, in essence, the Party's military ideology for the New Era. Facing the changes of the world, of the times, and of history, this Thought accurately grasps the strategic demand of a strong country for a strong military. It creatively answers the questions of the era: what kind of powerful people's army should be built in the New Era, and how to build it. It has achieved a new leap in the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist military theory, providing the fundamental legal basis and pointing the way forward for our military to effectively fulfill its missions and tasks under the Party's banner.

It has opened a new realm for the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist military theory. Having the courage to promote military theoretical innovation based on military practice is a major advantage of our Party in building and governing the military. A series of new major judgments, theoretical summaries, and strategic arrangements within Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military clarify fundamental, directional, and overall major issues: how the people's army in the New Era should carry forward traditions and maintain its true character; what goals it should strive toward and what path it should follow; and how to gain the initiative in military struggle and win modern wars. It reveals the way for the people's army to strengthen itself and win battles, providing a sharp ideological weapon for guiding military practice. Through systematic innovation, Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military has raised the Party's understanding of the laws of national defense and military construction, the laws of preparation for military struggle, and the laws of war guidance to new heights, allowing Marxist military theory to manifest the powerful force of truth in the practice of strengthening the military.

It has drawn a grand blueprint for building a world-class military in all respects. Those who excel at governance plan the overall situation; those who excel at planning reach far. Chairman Xi Jinping has planned national defense and military construction within the overarching strategic framework of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. He proposed the Party’s goal of strengthening the military in the New Era, established the military strategic layout for the New Era, and clarified the new "three-step" strategy ^[1] for the modernization of national defense and the military. He has promoted building the military politically, strengthening the military through reform, technology, and talent, and governing the military according to law. He has accelerated the modernization of military theory, organizational forms, personnel, and weaponry, establishing and implementing the target map, roadmap, and construction plan for building a powerful people's army. With profound insight into the security challenges facing China as it moves from being a large power to a strong power, he proposed the missions and tasks of the people's army in the New Era and innovated military strategic guidance in step with the times. He requires our military to persist in simultaneous struggle, combat readiness, and construction, to accelerate the improvement of its ability to win, and has pointed out the fundamental orientation and capability standards for our military's construction. Focusing on firmly grasping the initiative in military competition, he emphasized accelerating the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization ^[2]. He stressed strengthening the military layout in emerging fields to ensure we seize the window of opportunity, run at an accelerated pace, and build with high quality, clarifying the strategic path and focal points for promoting our military's construction and development. Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military is rooted in China while looking at the world, connecting the present with the long term. It possesses both top-level design for goals and strategic deployment for tasks, as well as guiding principles for progress and specific measures for implementation, ensuring the road of Chinese-path modernization in strengthening the military becomes ever wider.

It has led the great transformation of the people's army in the New Era. Since the 18th Party Congress, Chairman Xi Jinping has led the entire military to face problems head-on, pursue reform with courage, and overcome difficulties. He has saved, reshaped, and developed the people's army in the New Era, leading the cause of strengthening the military to achieve historical accomplishments and undergo historical transformations. Over these ten years, by firmly grasping the absolute leadership of the Party over the army and unswervingly promoting political rectification, the Gutian All-Military Political Work Conference ^[3] was convened to re-establish four fundamental elements ^[4]. We have comprehensively and deeply implemented the Chairman of the Central Military Commission responsibility system, resolutely investigated and dealt with the serious disciplinary and legal cases of Guo Boxiong, Xu Caihou, Fang Fenghui, and Zhang Yang, and comprehensively and thoroughly eliminated their pernicious influence. We have corrected the atmosphere of personnel selection and appointment, persevered in rectifying the "Four Winds," resolutely carried out the anti-corruption struggle, and completely terminated the military’s paid services ^[5]. The political ecosystem of our military has fundamentally improved, and a healthy atmosphere has continuously risen. Over these ten years, we have comprehensively strengthened military training and war preparedness, actively opened a new pattern of military struggle, returned the focus to combat readiness and fighting, built and perfected the joint combat command system, emphasized combat-oriented military training, and conducted military struggle with firmness and flexibility. We effectively responded to external military provocations, deterred "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, strengthened border control and anti-encroachment struggles, and carried out major missions such as maritime rights protection, counter-terrorism and stability maintenance, and epidemic response. Over these ten years, we have carried out bold and resolute soul-searching reforms in national defense and the military, winning the three major battles of reforming the leadership and command system, the scale, structure, and force composition, and the military policy system. We have formed a new pattern where the Central Military Commission (CMC) takes overall charge, Theater Commands focus on combat, and different services focus on construction. We have built a system of modern military forces with Chinese characteristics and a system of socialist military policies and institutions with Chinese characteristics, coordinating the strengthening of cross-military-civilian reforms. Our military's system, structure, pattern, and appearance have been renewed, achieving an integrated and revolutionary reshaping. Over these ten years, we have innovated and strengthened the modernization of national defense and the military, promoted high-quality development, and gone all out to implement planning tasks. We have expanded strategic forces and new-domain and new-quality combat forces, built logistics entirely for combat, accelerated the replacement of main combat weapons and equipment, comprehensively promoted innovation in defense science and technology, and built a new type of military personnel training system. Our military's modernization level and actual combat capabilities have risen to a new level. It is precisely under the strong leadership of Chairman Xi Jinping and the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military that this people's army led by the Party has held onto its roots and soul, stepped up its pace of rapid development, and gained the initiative in marching toward becoming world-class.

It has fortified the spiritual pillar of all officers and soldiers for strengthening the military. Only when a nation or an army can stand firm and steady in spirit can it stand at the forefront of the historical tide. Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military establishes firm faith and conviction, adheres to the value pursuit of not forgetting the original aspiration and founding mission, and demonstrates the loyal character of loving, worrying for, protecting, and revitalizing the Party. It bucket-lists officers and soldiers to align with and rally around the Party, becoming the contemporary successors of the "red lineage." It is imbued with a strong sense of historical responsibility and a profound sentiment for the people—carrying guns and fighting for them. It declares the determination and will to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, inspiring officers and soldiers to deeply cultivate a sense of devotion to home and country, to dedicate themselves to strengthening the military, to work with practical results and industry, and to live up to the times and the people. It is permeated with a fearless spirit of struggle, manifesting the tenacity and courage to press forward regardless of danger, inspiring officers and soldiers to dare to struggle and dare to win in the face of risks, challenges, and powerful enemies. By persisting in using Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military to mold the soul and educate people, the people's army can unite into a "single piece of hard steel," overcoming all obstacles and defeating all incoming enemies.

II. Comprehensively and accurately grasping the main content of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military

The practice of strengthening the military never stops, and theoretical innovation has no end. Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military, based on the practice of strengthening and revitalizing the military in the New Era, has proposed a series of landmark and guiding new concepts, new ideas, and new strategies, forming a scientific military theoretical system with rich connotations, profound thoughts, and the agility to advance with the times. The main content of this Thought is concentrated in the new summary of the "Eleven Clarifications," which fully demonstrates the contemporaneity, openness, and creativity of the Party's military guiding theory.

Clarifying that the Party's absolute leadership over the people's army is the foundation of its establishment and the soul of its strength. We must comprehensively strengthen the Party's leadership and Party building within the military, implement a series of fundamental principles and systems of the Party leading the military, and ensure the troops are absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable. Adhering to the principle that "the Party commands the gun" and building our own people's army is an unbreakable truth derived by the Party through struggles of blood and fire. It concerns the nature and purpose of our military, the future and destiny of socialism, and the long-term peace and stability of the Party and the state. To persist in the Party's absolute leadership, the entire military must first be absolutely loyal to the Party. We must build and master the troops ideologically and politically, comprehensively and deeply implement the Chairman of the CMC responsibility system, deepen the armament of the Party’s innovative theories, forge strong and powerful Party organizations, and promote the normalization and institutionalization of political rectification. We must fully leverage the role of political work as the "lifeline" of strengthening and revitalizing the military, cultivate "four-have" New Era revolutionary soldiers ^[6], and forge "four-iron" high-quality troops ^[7], ensuring the "barrel of the gun" forever follows the Party's command.

Clarifying that a strong country must have a strong military. Consolidating national defense and a powerful people's army provides strategic support for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the New Era and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The people's army must effectively fulfill its missions and tasks for the New Era. Without a strong people's army, there can be no strong motherland. We have various means and options for defending peace, maintaining security, and deterring war, but military means are always the ultimate bottom line; we must maintain a clear head regarding the danger of war. In the historical process of comprehensively building a great modern socialist country and achieving the Second Centenary Goal, we must place national defense and military construction in a more prominent position. We must accelerate the modernization of national defense and the military to provide strategic support for consolidating the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system of our country, for safeguarding national sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, for protecting our country's overseas interests, and for promoting world peace and development.

Clarifying that the Party's goal for strengthening the military in the New Era is to build a people's army that follows the Party’s command, can win battles, and has a fine work style. We aim to achieve the centenary goal of founding the army by 2027, basically realize the modernization of national defense and the military by 2035, and fully build the people's army into a world-class military by the middle of this century. Following the Party's command, being able to win, and having a fine work style are the keys to building and governing the military; they determine the direction of the military's development and its life or death. Realizing the goal of strengthening the military must be consistent with the process of national modernization. Achieving the centenary goal of founding the army by 2027 and comprehensively improving the strategic capability to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests is the central task of our military's construction for the next five years; we must go all out to ensure its certain success. By 2035, the modernization of national defense and the military will be basically realized, with highly developed mechanization, the basic realization of informatization, and significant progress in intelligentization. Joint combat capabilities and all-domain combat capabilities based on the network information system will be comprehensively improved. By the middle of the century, we will fully realize the modernization of national defense and the military, building the people's army into a world-class force commensurate with China's status as a powerful country, capable of comprehensively and effectively maintaining national security, and possessing strong international influence.

Clarifying that the army is for preparing for war. We must focus on the ability to fight and win, keep a close eye on powerful enemies and rivals, innovate military strategic guidance, develop strategies and tactics for people's war, and comprehensively strengthen training and combat readiness. We must conduct military struggle firmly and flexibly, effectively shaping the situation, controlling crises, deterring war, and winning wars. Being able to win is the fundamental requirement of the Party and the people for the military. We must deeply implement the military strategic layout for the New Era, adhere to combat effectiveness as the sole fundamental standard, focus all energy on fighting, and direct all work toward fighting. We must deepen war and combat planning, study and master the characteristics and laws of informatized and intelligentized warfare, build a powerful strategic deterrent force system, increase the proportion of new-domain and new-quality combat forces, and optimize the joint combat command system. We must deeply promote combat-oriented military training, vigorously cultivate the fighting spirit, solidly prepare for military struggle, and strengthen the normalized and diversified use of military forces to ensure we come when called, are ready to fight upon arrival, and are certain to win when we fight.

It is clarified that advancing the cause of strengthening the military must focus on political building, reform, technology, talent, and law-based governance. We must persist in simultaneous struggle, combat readiness, and construction, placing greater emphasis on focusing on actual combat, innovation-driven development, systems building, intensive efficiency, and military-civilian integration. We must strengthen military governance, promote high-quality development, and comprehensively improve the levels of revolutionization, modernization, and standardization. The modernization of national defense and the armed forces is a systematic project; we must persist in using a comprehensive perspective to manage construction. The simultaneous nature of struggle, readiness, and construction will be a prominent feature for the coming period. We must persist in leading construction through combat and grasping construction for the sake of combat, creating a favorable situation where combat, construction, and readiness are advanced as an integrated whole. As our military’s construction enters a critical stage of improving quality and increasing efficiency, we must firmly grasp the strategic guidance for military development, transform development concepts, innovate development models, and enhance development momentum to achieve higher quality, more efficient, and more sustainable development. We must comprehensively strengthen military governance, focusing on building a modern military governance system. We must promote the high-quality development of our military through high-level governance, improve strategic management, and increase the operational efficiency of the military system and the effective use of national defense resources.

It is clarified that reform is the only path to strengthening the military. We must promote the modernization of the military’s organizational form, build a system of modern military forces with Chinese characteristics, and improve the socialist military system with Chinese characteristics. Deepening the reform of national defense and the armed forces is for the purpose of designing and shaping the future of the military. We must persist in the fundamental direction of reform, the focal point of being able to fight and win wars, the orientation of modernizing the military’s organizational form, and the general requirement of being proactive yet steady. We must focus on resolving institutional obstacles, structural contradictions, and policy issues that constrain national defense and military construction, further liberating and developing combat effectiveness, and further liberating and enhancing the vitality of the military. The tasks of this round of national defense and military reform have been basically completed; we must now consolidate and expand the achievements of the reform, push forward the implementation of established reform tasks, perform well in the planning and demonstration of follow-up reforms, refine the structure and composition of military forces, systematically optimize military policies and institutions, and strive to create a new situation for strengthening the military through reform, providing powerful momentum for achieving the Centenary Goal of the People’s Liberation Army ^[8].

It is clarified that technology is the core combat effectiveness. We must persist in independent innovation as our strategic base point, promote high-level technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, and coordinately advance innovation in military theory, technology, organization, management, and culture to build an innovative people’s military. Technology is the most active and revolutionary factor in military development. To win the initiative in military competition, we must fully leverage the strategic supporting role of technological innovation in our military’s construction, accelerate breakthroughs in key core technologies, strengthen the exploration of management mechanisms and operational models for technological innovation, and enhance our capacity for technological cognition, innovation, and application, accelerating the transformation of technology into combat power. We must fully implement the innovation-driven development strategy, strengthen innovation in military theory, vigorously promote a culture of innovation, and drive transformations in the quality, efficiency, and momentum of our military’s construction and development.

It is clarified that the way to strengthen the military lies in obtaining talent. We must implement the military education policy for the New Era, promote the comprehensive transformation and upgrading of military personnel’s competence, structural layout, and development management, and forge high-quality, professional new-type military talent possessing both professional ability and political integrity. Talent is the primary resource; it is the key factor in promoting the high-quality development of our military and winning the initiative in military competition and future warfare. We must persist in the Party’s management of officials and talent and the selection of personnel by the organization, insisting on cultivating, inspecting, and employing talent from a political perspective. We must persist in preparing talent for war, taking the ability to fight and win as the starting point and ultimate goal of talent work, and improving the capacity and level of talent supply for combat readiness and fighting. We must persist in the path of independent talent cultivation, implement the strategy of prioritizing the development of academies and schools, and build a strong cultivation system for new-type military talent. We must innovate military human resource management, forming a work orientation, policy orientation, and public opinion orientation that incentivizes responsibility and action, fully mobilizing the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the vast number of officers and soldiers to gather outstanding talent into the cause of strengthening the military.

It is clarified that law-based governance is the basic way our Party builds and manages the military. We must construct a military legal system with Chinese characteristics, promote a fundamental shift in the way the military is governed, and improve the level of rule of law in national defense and military construction. The more modernized and informationized a military is, the more it requires the rule of law. We must place the focus of law-based military governance on serving combat readiness and fighting, forming a system of military regulations and rules that is systematic, complete, rigorous, and efficient, alongside systems for implementation, supervision, and guarantee of the military rule of law. We must achieve a fundamental shift from relying solely on administrative orders to administration in accordance with the law; from working based solely on habit and experience to working based on regulations and systems; and from managing work through "shock-style" or "campaign-style" ^[9] methods to acting in accordance with statutes and regulations. We must strengthen the belief in and thinking of the rule of law across the entire military, highlighting the governance of officials and power according to the law, and relying on officers and soldiers to jointly build, strictly implement, and maintain the rule of law.

It is clarified that military-civilian institutional integration is a move to prosper the nation and a strategy to strengthen the military. We must consolidate and improve integrated national strategic systems and capabilities. With the rapid development of science and technology, the coupling and correlation between national strategic competitiveness, social productive forces, and military combat power have become increasingly tight; the modernization of national defense and the military must be integrated into national modernization. We must strengthen the coordination of strategic planning, the alignment of policies and systems, and the sharing of resources and elements between military and civilian sectors, promoting the simultaneous enhancement of national defense strength and economic strength. Our national defense is a defense for all the people; we must deepen national defense education for all, strengthen national defense mobilization and reserve force construction, and advance the construction of modern border, sea, and air defenses. We must vigorously carry out the glorious tradition of the military loving the people and the people supporting the military, perform "double support" ^[10] work in depth, and consolidate and develop the unity between the military and the government, and between the military and the people.

It is clarified that fine conduct is a distinctive feature and political advantage of our military. We must achieve comprehensively and strictly governing the Party and the military, forge strong primary-level units in an all-round way, unswervingly rectify conduct, enforce discipline, and fight corruption. We must vigorously carry out the glorious traditions and fine conduct of our Party and military, and forever maintain the nature, purpose, and true character of the people’s military. Only with fine conduct can a heroic force be molded; slack conduct can destroy an ever-victorious army. We must consciously carry forward the Great Founding Spirit of the Party ^[11], remain mindful of our original aspiration and founding mission, strengthen education in Party and military history and glorious traditions, and promote the project of passing down "red genes" from generation to generation. We must have the courage for self-revolution, continue to deepen the rectification of the Four Winds—especially formalism and bureaucratism—and advance the mechanism of ensuring that officials do not dare, are not able, and have no desire to be corrupt as an integrated whole, resolutely winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption. We must persist in the keynote of "strictness" without wavering, putting strictness at the fore and applying it comprehensively and thoroughly. We must use iron discipline to forge iron will, temper iron conduct, and forge iron teams, creating strong primary-level units that listen to the Party’s word, follow the Party’s lead, are able to fight and win, and possess strict discipline and upright conduct.

III. Scientifically Applying the Contemporary Chinese Marxist Military Outlook and Methodology Contained in Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Strengthening the Military

Xi Jinping’s Thinking on Strengthening the Military persists in using Marxism to examine contemporary Chinese military issues. It acutely discerns the movement of contradictions in the military field in the New Era and profoundly elucidates major relationships such as those between military and politics, war and peace, stabilizing the situation and shaping momentum, deterrence and actual combat, and man and weapons, providing a "great cognitive tool" for strengthening the military and winning.

Persisting in political guidance. Chairman Xi pointed out that the military is subordinate to politics, and politicality is the essential attribute of the military. This important thesis profoundly clarifies the political essence of military force. In the current era, the connection between military and politics is closer, their correlation and integrality at the strategic level are increasingly enhanced, the influence and constraints of political factors on war have become more prominent, and the political, policy-oriented, and sensitive nature of military struggle has significantly increased. Our military is an armed group for executing the Party’s political tasks; persisting in the principle that the Party commands the gun is where the direction, strength, and advantage of the people’s military lie. History and reality enlighten us that grasping military construction must first be viewed from a political perspective. Planning and guiding war must involve a profound understanding of the political attributes of war, grasping war issues within the grand goal of achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and orchestrating military struggle as an important aspect of conducting the Great Struggle ^[12]. In the New Era, for the people’s military to persist in political guidance means unswervingly upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s military, serving the people wholeheartedly, always thinking about and handling military issues from a political height, faithfully fulfilling the missions and tasks entrusted by the Party and the people, and forever listening to and following the Party, forever being the sons and brothers of the people.

Persisting in using force to stop conflict. By summarizing the laws of war and peace throughout ancient and modern times, both in China and abroad—especially the historical lesson of our country being ravaged by the wars of great powers in modern times—Chairman Xi profoundly pointed out that only the ability to fight can stop war, and only being prepared to fight makes it possible not to have to fight. The less one is able to fight, the more likely one is to be attacked; this is the dialectics of war and peace. Currently, the world once again stands at a crossroads of history. The shadows of Cold War mentality and power politics linger, and "power politics" and the "law of the jungle" are still rampant. The instability and uncertainty of our country’s security situation have increased. The world is not at peace; peace needs to be defended. Facing wars that may be imposed upon us, we must speak to enemies in a language they understand, using victory to win peace and respect. In the New Era, for the people’s military to persist in using force to stop conflict means always maintaining strategic sobriety regarding the risks of war that may occur, being prepared to fight at any time, basing combat on existing conditions, not fighting unprepared or uncertain battles, effectively deterring war, and resolutely winning wars.

Persisting in being proactive and enterprising. Chairman Xi emphasized that the military field is the most intensely competitive field; only by being proactive and enterprising can one grasp the opportunity and the initiative. Currently, a new round of technological and military revolutions is changing every day. Concepts, elements, and methods of winning wars are all undergoing major changes; the transformation of technology, the transformation of war, and the transformation of rivals are becoming increasingly prominent. In a race of a hundred boats, the one who rows hardest leads. In recent years, we have enhanced the enterprise and initiative of our military strategic guidance, enriched and improved the connotations of the strategic thought of active defense, adjusted and optimized the military strategic layout, and shaped a strategic posture favorable to us. We have accelerated the development of strategic, frontier, and disruptive technologies, and increased efforts in the development of military intelligentization, creating favorable conditions for winning developmental advantages. The coming period is a high-risk period for our national security and also a critical window for the leapfrog development of our military. Opportunities and challenges are unprecedented; we must accurately identify changes, respond scientifically, and seek change proactively. In the New Era, for the people’s military to persist in being proactive and enterprising means adhering to our own path, proceeding from reality, and giving full play to conscious dynamism. We must plan according to the trend, move in response to the trend, and act in accordance with the trend. We must be adept at making the first move and fighting proactive battles, adept at finding opportunities in crises and turning crises into opportunities, striving for the initiative and avoiding the passive, and striving for every possible victory on a stable and reliable basis.

Persisting in overall coordination. Military practice is full of various complex movements of contradictions; grasping correlations and managing complexity are basic requirements for promoting military development. While leading the cause of strengthening the military, Chairman Xi has always persisted in using systems thinking to observe the situation, analyze problems, and promote work. He has orchestrated the modernization of national defense and the military within the process of national modernization, forming a strategic design for strengthening and flourishing the military under the overall situation of national rejuvenation. In promoting our military’s modernization, he has strengthened overall coordination, systematic construction, and system-wide governance, focusing both on "grasping the bull by the nose" ^[13] and on comprehensive construction. In deepening the reform of national defense and the armed forces, he has held fast to reform tasks where "pulling one hair moves the whole body," ^[14] grasping the correlation and coupling of various reform tasks. In preparation for military struggle, he has orchestrated military struggles in various directions and fields as a whole to maintain the stability of the overall strategic situation, and so on. These strategic plans take a command of the whole and grasp the key links, providing scientific guidance for us to respond to complex situations and advance various constructions in an all-round way. In the New Era, for the people’s military to persist in overall coordination means implementing the Holistic Approach to National Security, coordinating economic construction and national defense construction, coordinating military struggle and struggle in other areas, and coordinating the major tasks of combat, construction, and readiness, using breakthroughs in key areas to drive overall progress and improving comprehensive effectiveness through coordinated action.

Persisting in the courage to fight and the certainty of victory. Chairman Xi pointed out that war is a contest of material but also a contest of spirit. Our military has always been famous for its ability to fight and its strong fighting spirit. We defeated the Kuomintang army equipped with American gear using "millet plus rifles," and on the Korean battlefield, we defeated the world’s number one enemy armed to the teeth, performing one majestic drama of war after another and creating heroic feats that moved heaven and earth. The courage to struggle and the courage to win have always been a vivid portrayal of our military’s "blood and guts." In the past, we had "less steel but more spirit"; now we have more steel, but our spirit must be even greater, and our bones must be even harder. In recent years, throughout a series of major struggles, the vast number of officers and soldiers have persisted in being "justified, advantageous, and restrained," ^[15] showing the courage and skill to struggle. With absolute loyalty and unyielding character, they have fought to the death to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests, writing soul-stirring heroic epics. The conviction of victory is gained through struggle; the cause of strengthening the military advances through struggle. In the New Era, for the people’s military to persist in the courage to fight and the certainty of victory means carrying forward the fighting spirit of "fearing neither hardship nor death," daring to overcome all difficulties, daring to overwhelm all enemies, and being adept at choosing reasonable methods of struggle according to the objectives, while grasping the timing, intensity, and effectiveness of the struggle, relying on tenacious struggle to open up new horizons.

Theoretical innovation opens new horizons, and theoretical armament must reach new heights. To create a new situation for the cause of strengthening the military on the new journey, we must more firmly establish Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military as the fundamental guide. We must persistently use it to arm the entire military and educate officers and soldiers, deeply comprehending the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," enhancing the "Four Consciousnesses," ^[16] strengthening the "Four Confidences," ^[17] and achieving the "Two Upholds." We must implement the Chairperson of the Central Military Commission responsibility system, stimulate the necessary mental state, and coalesce the forces of endeavor to achieve the unprecedented unity and unification of the entire military under new historical conditions. We must thoroughly carry out the task of arming the military with the Party's innovative theories and the study, promotion, and implementation of the spirit of the 20th CPC National Congress. We must solidly develop the "Study the Thought on Strengthening the Military, Contribute to the Cause of Strengthening the Military" educational and practice activities, guiding officers and soldiers to read the original works, study the original texts, and grasp the original principles. This will enable them to deeply apprehend the core tenets, spiritual essence, rich connotations, and practical requirements of the thought, and to comprehensively master the standpoint, viewpoints, and methods ^[18] that permeate it, achieving an integration of study, thought, and application, and a unity of knowledge, belief, and action. We must carry forward the excellent academic style of integrating theory with practice, keeping what we are currently doing at the center. We must accurately identify the points of convergence and focus for implementation, truly transforming the results of study into ideas and measures for focusing on war preparedness and combat, and for promoting the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. These results must be converted into the vivid practice of striving to realize the Centenary Goal of the People’s Liberation Army ^[19], using practical actions to submit a new, qualified examination paper ^[20] to the Party and the people.