Unswervingly follow the path of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics (3): It is clear that a strong country must strengthen the army, and consolidating national defense and strengthening the people's army is the last word

The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly proposed: "Adhere to the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics, and comprehensively promote the modernization of national defense and the army." This major deployment has profoundly revealed the historical experience and internal laws of the construction and development of the people's army, and scientifically planned the direction and fundamental path for promoting the great cause of strengthening the army in the new era. We must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, take Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as a guide to action, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Army, unswervingly forge ahead along the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics, and continue to write a more glorious chapter of the times of strengthening the army and rejuvenating the army.

It is clear that a strong country must strengthen the army, and that consolidating national defense and strengthening the people's army is the strategic support for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in the new era, and the people's army must effectively fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era.

A strong country must have a strong army, and a strong army can achieve national security

The Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centennial Struggle, adopted at the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, pointed out: "A strong country must have a strong army, and a strong army can only achieve national security, and it is necessary to build a consolidated national defense and a strong people's army commensurate with the mainland's international status and national security and development interests." This important exposition reflects the strategic consideration of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman Xi Jinping to support a strong country by strengthening the army, and is full of the expectations and trust of the party and the people for our army.

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has always put national defense and army building under the great goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and placed it in an important position in the overall cause of the Party and the country to inspect and plan, clearly put forward that the realization of the Chinese dream is to realize the dream of strengthening the army for the army, emphasizing that military means are the means to realize the great dream, and requiring our army to undertake the mission and task of the new era of "four strategic supports". These important expositions have profoundly revealed the important position and internal laws of national defense and military modernization, and fully embodied President Xi's historical responsibility of rejuvenating the country and forging a strong people's army.

"Once military backwardness is formed, the impact on national security will be fatal." President Xi has repeatedly reminded us of the heart-wrenching pain of the opening of the country's door in history, emphasizing that backwardness means being beaten, and development must be self-reliant, so that the struggle can be won. From the Opium War to the First Sino-Japanese War and then to the Eight-Nation Alliance's war of aggression against China, the mainland's military strength was weak and its weapons and equipment were backward. Building and consolidating national defense and a strong army is the goal that our party has been striving for. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, it is precisely because we have attached great importance to national defense and army building and dared to show our sword at critical moments that we have withstood all kinds of external pressures and safeguarded the country's independence, independence, security, and dignity.

Since the evening of August 2, 2022, the Eastern Theater of the Chinese People's Liberation Army has continued to conduct high-intensity, systematic, and joint exercises around Taiwan Island, solemnly deterring the major escalation of the negative moves of the United States on the Taiwan issue, and giving serious warnings to the "Taiwan independence" forces seeking "independence", indicating that our military is fully determined, has the means and ability to safeguard the reunification of the motherland and defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The people's army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a strong pillar for defending the red country and safeguarding national dignity, as well as a powerful force for safeguarding regional and world peace. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi Jinping has coordinated the overall strategy of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the great changes in the world unseen in a century, put forward the mission and tasks of the people's army in the new era, and asked our army to provide strategic support for consolidating the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system on the mainland, providing strategic support for defending national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, safeguarding the mainland's overseas interests, and promoting world peace and development. The people's army resolutely obeyed orders, faithfully fulfilled its missions and tasks in the new era, and defended national sovereignty, security and development interests with a tenacious fighting spirit and practical actions.

The "four strategic supports" profoundly expound the political attributes of our army, reflect the natural connection between the party and the army, and require our army to be very strong politically, firmly stand under the banner of the party, resolutely safeguard the security of state power and system, and resolutely safeguard the overall political and social stability; It expounds the fundamental functions of our army, and requires our army to be ready to fight a tough battle at any time, resolutely smash any form of "Taiwan independence" separatist and external interference plots, strictly guard against and resolutely crack down on all forms of separatist activities, resolutely respond to external military provocations, pressure, and encroachment attempts, and resolutely defend the core interests of the country. It expounds the strategic functions of our armed forces and requires our armed forces to closely follow the development process of the country's overseas interests, continuously enhance its ability to carry out diversified military tasks in a broader space, and strive to form a strong security system for overseas interests. It expounds the international responsibilities of our army and requires our army to adapt to the strategic requirements of serving and building a community with a shared future for mankind, actively fulfill its responsibilities and obligations commensurate with the international status of the mainland, and play a greater role in maintaining a peaceful international environment and the surrounding environment.

There are many means and options for us to defend peace, maintain security and deter war, but military means are always the means of guarantee. To uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, it is necessary to coordinate development and security, a rich country and a strong army, and ensure that the process of national defense and military modernization is compatible with the process of national modernization, and that military capabilities are compatible with national strategic needs.

At present, the changes in the world, the times, and history are unfolding in an unprecedented way. The mainland's development is faced with new strategic opportunities, new strategic tasks, new strategic stages, new strategic requirements, and a new strategic environment, and the risks and challenges that need to be dealt with, as well as the contradictions and problems that need to be resolved, are more complex than ever. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is by no means an easy task that can be achieved by beating gongs and drums, and it is necessary to wage a great struggle with many new historical characteristics and be prepared to withstand the major tests of high winds and turbulent waves, and even stormy seas. Military struggle is an important aspect of waging a great struggle, and the ability to win a war is a strategic capability for safeguarding national security. We will never sit idly by while national sovereignty, security and development interests will be undermined, and we will never allow anyone or any force to encroach upon and split the sacred territory of the motherland.

Speed up the construction and consolidation of national defense and a strong army

At the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed that "to learn from history and create the future, we must accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces", pointing out the way forward and providing fundamental guidance for building the people's army into a world-class army. On the new journey, we must thoroughly study and implement the spirit of President Xi's important speech on July 1, accelerate the construction and consolidation of national defense and a strong army, and continue to write a more brilliant chapter in strengthening the army and rejuvenating the army.

Enhance a sense of purpose and urgency

President Xi pointed out: "A strong country must have a strong army, and a strong army can achieve national security." President Xi's important exposition has profoundly revealed the important position of national defense and military modernization in the overall cause of the Party and the country, and scientifically expounded the great significance of coordinating development and security in the new era. A strong country must have a strong army, and only when a strong army can national security be achieved, this is not only a historical conclusion, but also a manifestation of the times. We must unify our thinking and action from a high political and strategic perspective, and strive to push forward the modernization of national defense and the armed forces with a sense of mission and urgency that time cannot wait.

Intrinsic requirements that are compatible with the process of national modernization. "The way of all benefits, walk with the times". National defense strength must match the strength of the country, and national defense construction must be advanced to the extent of economic and social development. History has repeatedly shown that once military backwardness is formed, the impact on national security will be fatal. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, our party has attached great importance to the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and has safeguarded the country's independence, independence, security, and dignity. Safety cannot be forgotten, and governance cannot be forgotten. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission have made a series of strategic plans and arrangements for speeding up the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, leading the whole army to create a new situation in the cause of strengthening the military. On the new journey of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way and realizing the second centenary goal, we must put national defense and army building in a more important position, and speed up the construction and consolidation of national defense and a strong army.

It is an inevitable choice to build a world-class army in an all-round way. At present, the development of the new military revolution in the world is accelerating, the form of warfare is accelerating the evolution to information-based warfare with intelligent characteristics, and major countries are stepping up their efforts to promote military transformation and reshape the military force system, which will have a major impact on the international political and military landscape. We must seize this opportunity to continuously narrow the gap between the modernization level of our military and the needs of national security, and the gap between the modernization level of our military and the advanced military level in the world. Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, our party has gradually formed a strategic arrangement from realizing the goal of the centenary of the founding of the army in 2027, to basically realizing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces in 2035, and then to building the people's army into a world-class army in an all-round way by the middle of this century. The current and future period is a crucial period for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and our military must speed up the modernization of military theory, the organizational form of the armed forces, the modernization of military personnel, and the modernization of weapons and equipment.

Maintain political sobriety and strategic focus

President Xi Jinping's important speech on July 1 emphasized "upholding the party's command of the gun and building one's own people's army" as an "unbreakable truth", clarified that the party's absolute leadership over the people's army is the foundation of army building and the soul of a strong army, revealed that building a strong people's army is our party's unremitting pursuit, grasped the key to accelerating the modernization of national defense and the army, and clarified the fundamental guarantee for realizing the leapfrog development of our army's modernization.

The unbreakable truth that the Party has drawn in the struggle between blood and fire. Upholding the party's command of the gun and building the people's army under the leadership of the party is the sublimation and condensation of our party's experience in army building and army management after a century of struggle, and the profound revelation of the law governing army building and army management. At a time when the party was facing the face of life and death, relying on the truthful understanding that "power comes out of the barrel of a gun," it realized that "workers and peasants have soldiers from the beginning" and ensured that the people's army would always be loyal to the party and the people. On the long road of revolution that was full of ups and downs, and under the strong leadership of the party, the people's army built while fighting, became more courageous and stronger the more it fought, and gradually developed into a powerful army, which made immortal contributions to the party and the people. The fundamental reason for establishing immortal feats lies in upholding the party's absolute leadership over the people's army, in transforming political superiority into a powerful force for promoting the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and in winning development competitiveness through institutional creativity.

The fundamental guarantee for always maintaining the nature, purpose, and true character of the people's army. The party's leadership is the fundamental guarantee for the people's army to always maintain a strong cohesion, centripetal force, creativity, and combat effectiveness. In the various historical periods of revolution, construction, and reform, our party has led the people's army to overcome obstacles and win one brilliant victory after another. Practice has proven that no matter how the situation changes and how modernization develops, there must never be any wavering or deviation in maintaining the fundamental superiority of the people's army's nature, purpose, and true colors. Only by profoundly understanding and grasping the fundamental principle of upholding the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, unswervingly forging the soul of the army under the banner of the party, and keeping our army forever unchanged and degenerate, can we pass on the fine traditions forged by our ancestors with their blood and lives from generation to generation and ensure that the people's army will always be a heroic army that the party and the people can fully trust.

The lifeblood of the road to strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics. Taking our own path is the party's entire theoretical and practical foothold, and it is also the historical conclusion reached by the party over the past century. The road to strengthening the military with Chinese characteristics is the development of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the military field, and it is the only way to accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces in the new era. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at the core has focused on realizing the "two centenary" goals and realizing the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, put forward the party's goal of strengthening the army in the new era, kept pace with the times and innovated military strategic guidance, formulated military strategic guidelines for the new era, and guided the people's army to take solid steps on the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics. The more we are in the critical period of national rejuvenation and the more important junctures in the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, the more necessary it is to properly guard the lifeblood of the party's command of the gun, always strengthen the "four consciousnesses," strengthen the "four self-confidences," and achieve the "two safeguards," implement the responsibility system of the chairman of the Central Military Commission, and ensure that the modernization of national defense and the armed forces always advances in the right direction.

We will take new and greater steps on the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics

In his important speech on July 1, President Xi solemnly declared: "No one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will, and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity," and demanded that our military "defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests with stronger capabilities and more reliable means." We must deeply understand the deployment requirements, speed up the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, and forge ahead on a new journey of strengthening the armed forces.

Further deepen the study and implementation of Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the army. The history of our party and our army proves that the more we are at the critical juncture of the state and the nation, and the more we are in the critical period of construction and development, the more we must give play to the leading role of scientific theories and gather a powerful spiritual force to overcome difficulties. It is necessary to unremittingly arm the whole army with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, further firmly establish the guiding position of Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Army in national defense and army building, unswervingly implement Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Army in the entire process of national defense and military modernization in all fields, implement the military strategic principles for the new era, adhere to the party's absolute leadership over the people's army, and take new and greater steps on the road of strengthening the army with Chinese characteristics.

Consolidating national defense and a strong armed forces is the guarantee of security for peaceful development

The report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized that China adheres to the path of peaceful development and promotes the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. This is a major choice made by the Chinese Government and people to inherit the fine traditions of Chinese culture and to act in accordance with the development trend of the times and their own fundamental interests. The white paper entitled "China's National Defense in the New Era" issued by the Chinese Government a few days ago further declares that building a consolidated national defense and a strong armed force commensurate with its international status and national security and development interests is a strategic task for China's socialist modernization, a security guarantee for adhering to the path of peaceful development, and an inevitable choice for summing up historical experience. This important exposition embodies a high degree of strategic sobriety and strategic consciousness, and contains rich connotations with the characteristics of the times.

Over the past 40 years of reform and opening up, China has developed into the world's second largest economy and is increasingly approaching the center of the world stage. Judging from the history of the evolution of the world pattern, almost all Western countries followed a path of blood and fire for colonial expansion and then struggle for hegemony. In the eyes of some Western politicians, "a strong country must be hegemonic" is a historical law and is inevitable. With China's development and growth, especially the socialist system with Chinese characteristics, which has become more and more vigorous, some international forces hostile to China's development have increasingly shown strong hostility to contain China's peaceful development and questioned the path and way of China's rise. We should be soberly aware that peaceful development is not wishful thinking, and depends not only on our own good intentions, but also on whether we have the strong strength to counter provocations and contain war, and on whether certain countries can abandon the Cold War mentality and zero-sum game. While building and consolidating national defense to ensure its own peaceful development, China sincerely hopes that all countries will choose the path of peaceful development and jointly prevent conflicts and wars.

Peaceful development requires strong and reliable forces to safeguard and defend it. As a matter of fact, whether a country's military buildup brings peace or war depends on what kind of national defense policy it implements. China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature, and the growth of China's military strength is entirely the growth of the forces for world peace and is conducive to world peace. Building and consolidating national defense and a strong military is the proper meaning of China's peaceful development. The white paper stresses that China resolutely defends national sovereignty, security and development interests, but will never follow the old path of pursuing hegemony and "a strong country must be hegemonic". No matter where it goes in the future, China will not threaten anyone and will not seek to establish a sphere of influence. This has clearly demonstrated to the world China's strategic bottom line and intention to build and consolidate national defense and a strong military.

Consolidating national defense and strengthening the armed forces is a staunch force for safeguarding world peace and development

China's solid national defense and strong military are a staunch force for world peace and development. In modern times, the Chinese people have suffered greatly from aggression and war, deeply feel the preciousness of peace and the urgency of development, and are convinced that only peace can achieve national development and national rejuvenation, and only development can better safeguard and defend peace. The white paper stresses that the dreams of the Chinese people are closely related to the dreams of the people of the world. A peaceful, stable and prosperous China is an opportunity and a blessing for the world. A strong Chinese military is a staunch force for maintaining world peace and stability and serving the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

President Xi Jinping pointed out: "Chinese are patriotic, and at the same time, we also have an international vision and an international mind. "As China's national strength continues to increase, China's armed forces will continue to fulfill their international responsibilities and obligations, always hold high the banner of win-win cooperation, adhere to the concept of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, uphold the correct concept of justice and interests, and make new and greater contributions to serving and building a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Source: Xinhua News Agency, Chinanews.com, Communist Party Member Network, China Military Network, People's Liberation Army Daily)