Strengthen the education of party and military history and glorious traditions
Ensure that officers and soldiers always listen to and follow the party※
Xi Jinping
one
We must always put ideological and political construction at the top of all military construction, strengthen theoretical arms, strengthen military soul education, continue to cultivate the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers, organize officers and soldiers to study party history and military history, so that the party’s absolute leadership over the army is in The officers and soldiers are deeply rooted in their thinking to ensure that the entire army resolutely obeys the command of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission at all times and under any circumstances.
(Speech at the enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission on November 16, 2012)
two
As an armed group that performs the party’s political tasks, our army must regard obedience to the party’s command as the first priority in army building, and ensure that the army is absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable. Our army was created by the party, and it was closely linked to the party once it was born, and it has always acted and fought under the party’s absolute leadership. Our party is a Marxist party and a party that serves the people wholeheartedly. Only by upholding the party’s absolute leadership over the army can we fundamentally guarantee the nature of the people’s army. For more than 80 years, our army has always maintained strong cohesion, centripetal force, and combat effectiveness, withstood various tests, and constantly moved from victory to victory. The most fundamental reason is the strong leadership of the party. If this one is lost, the army will deteriorate. At all times and under any circumstances, our army must forge the soul of a strong army by listening to the party’s command, uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the army and the fundamental purpose of the people’s army, and unswervingly implement the party’s theory, line, principles and policies. , Always loyal to the party, loyal to socialism, loyal to the motherland, and loyal to the people, so that all actions obey the command of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission.
(Speech at the Plenary Session of the People’s Liberation Army Delegation at the First Session of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on March 11, 2013)
On October 30, 2014, the military political work conference was held in Gutian Town, Shanghang County, Fujian Province. This is October 31. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission attended the meeting and delivered an important speech.Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang/photo
three
We must persist in putting the ideological and political building and mastering of the army in a prominent position, in-depth study and implementation of the spirit of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in accordance with the requirements of being at the forefront, carry out in-depth publicity and education on socialism with Chinese characteristics, continue to cultivate the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers, and vigorously Develop advanced military culture, do a solid job of educational activities on the theme of “Strengthening the Faith and Casting the Soul of the Army”, organize officers and soldiers to earnestly study party history and military history, strengthen the party’s political self-confidence and political awareness of the absolute leadership of the army, and keep the officers and soldiers holding high the banner and listening. The ideological and political basis of party command.
(Speech at the Plenary Session of the People’s Liberation Army Delegation at the First Session of the Twelfth National People’s Congress on March 11, 2013)
On October 1, 2019, the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China was grandly held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. This is Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission reviewing the troops under review.Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Tao/photo
Four
The foundation of the ideological and political construction of the army is to unswervingly uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the army. Our party has always attached great importance to ideological and political control of the troops. In the early days of our army, the principle of party commanding guns was established. The biggest achievement of the Sanwan reorganization was to strengthen the party organization in the Workers’ and Peasants’ Revolutionary Army and build branches in the company. Comrade Luo Ronghuan later pointed out that if Comrade Mao Zedong had not wisely solved this fundamental problem, then this force would not have a political soul and a clear program of action.
(Speech after listening to the work report of the Beijing Military Region on July 29, 2013)
Fives
Both history and reality tell us that to consolidate the party’s ruling position and ensure that the socialist red world will never change color, we must unswervingly uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the army. It is necessary to educate and guide officers and soldiers, especially senior and middle-level leading cadres, to consciously strengthen their political beliefs, stand politically, and strictly abide by political discipline, so as to maintain a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission at all times and under any circumstances, and resolutely obey the commands of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission. .
(Speech after listening to the work report of the Beijing Military Region on July 29, 2013)
six
The most fundamental reason why our army is able to overcome all kinds of hardships and difficulties and constantly move from victory to victory is to unswervingly listen to and follow the party. This is the soul and lifeblood of our army, and it can never be changed or lost. The primary task of party building in the military is to ensure the party’s absolute leadership over the military, which is also a fundamental requirement for party building in the military.
(Speech when meeting with representatives of the Party Construction Work Conference of the whole army on November 6, 2013)
seven
Gutian is the place where our party established the principles of ideological party building and political army building, the place where our army’s political work laid the foundation, and the place where the new type of people’s army was shaped. Meeting here is iconic. I am familiar with Gutian and I have been here many times. The political work of our army sprouted in the period of the Great Revolution, was founded at the beginning of the establishment of the army, based on the Gutian Conference, and has been continuously enriched and developed in the practice of long-term revolution, construction, and reform. In the morning, at the site of the Gutian Conference and the memorial hall, scenes of arduous struggles and scenes of the ancestors exploring the revolutionary road came to my mind. The Gutian Conference was held at a critical juncture of the Red Army’s survival. At that time, Comrades Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Chen Yi led the main forces of the Fourth Red Army to descend from Jinggang Mountain. During the transition to southern Jiangxi and western Fujian, the troops had a dispute over the principles of army building. After the Eighth Party Congress of the Fourth Red Army, the Fourth Red Army failed to attack Dongjiang. The troops were confused and morale was facing a severe test. According to the “September Letter from the Central Committee,” the Fourth Red Army convened the ninth party congress to correct and eliminate various non-proletarian ideologies, forming the famous Gutian Conference resolution in the history of our party and our army. This meeting established the Marxist principles of party building and army building, established the policies, principles, and systems of our army’s political work, and proposed solutions to the fundamental problem of building an army with farmers as the main component into a new type of people’s army with a proletarian nature. Principle direction.
History can often be seen more clearly after time has passed. Looking back, the Gutian Conference enabled our army to achieve a rebirth from the ashes and the nirvana of the phoenix. Since then, under the leadership of the party, our army has grown from small to large, from weak to strong, and constantly moving from victory to victory. The political work of our army, which laid the foundation of the Gutian Conference, played a decisive role in the survival and development of our army.
From July 21 to 23, 2021, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission came to Tibet to congratulate the 70th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet and visit and sympathize with cadres and masses of all ethnic groups in Tibet. It was the morning of the 23rd. Xi Jinping cordially received representatives of the officers and soldiers of the Tibet Army in Lhasa, extended sincere greetings to all officers and soldiers of the Tibet Army, and fully affirmed the outstanding contribution of the Tibet Army.Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang/photo
On December 26 last year, I said at the symposium to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s birth, you can’t forget the path you have taken when you move forward; Of the past. On the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Gutian Conference, we came here for the purpose of tracing the roots, thinking deeply about where and why we started, reviewing the glorious history of our party and our army, and remembering the great achievements of the older generation of revolutionaries. Accept the baptism of thoughts to facilitate better progress.
(Speech at the All-Army Political Work Conference on October 31, 2014)
Eight
“Everyone who rules the country and governs the army must be taught with etiquette and encouragement with righteousness.” In essence, political work is the work of the party’s leadership and control of the army. As an armed group carrying out the party’s political tasks, our army must adhere to the party’s absolute leadership if it wants to become a revolutionary army under the party’s absolute leadership. Where to go. If this is not achieved, not only will it be impossible for our military to develop and grow, but also for the party-led revolution, construction, and reform undertakings to achieve success.
Our party has established party organizations at all levels of the military, with teams in platoons, companies with branches, and units at the battalion level and above have established party committees, with party leadership reaching the grassroots and soldiers. Comrade Mao Zedong said: “The Red Army fought hard and did not disintegrate. The’branch was built on the company’ is an important reason.” A few years ago, when I visited Venezuela, President Chavez asked me why the Chinese Communist Party is so powerful. , I told him about the example of the branch building on the connection. He appreciates this very much, it is something they want to do but cannot do.
(Speech at the All-Army Political Work Conference on October 31, 2014)
Nine
In long-term practice, our military has through in-depth political work, relying on the firm belief that “revolutionary ideals are above the sky”, relying on overwhelming all enemies without being overwhelmed by any enemy, and conquering all difficulties without being conquered by any difficulties. Revolutionary spirit, completed the rare long march in the world, defeated the American-style Kuomintang army with “millet plus rifle”, defeated the world‘s number one formidable enemy armed to the teeth on the Korean battlefield, and performed a series of powerful and majestic war dramas. , Has created a world-shattering, weeping heroic feat.
This place in West Fujian has made outstanding contributions to the revolution. When the Long March set out, there were more than 20,000 children in western Fujian in the Red Army. The Red 34 Division, which served as the general guard of the Central Red Army, had more than 6,000 people mainly from the children of Western Fujian. Almost all of the division died in the first battle of the Xiangjiang River. The teacher Chen Shuxiang was unfortunately taken prisoner. He tore open the wound in his abdomen, choked off his intestines, sacrificed heroically, and fulfilled his vow of “to shed the last drop of blood for the Soviets.” In the long-term revolutionary struggle, millions of soldiers of our army gave their lives, and countless heroes and groups of heroes emerged, such as Zhao Yiman, Dong Cunrui, Huang Jiguang, Qiu Shaoyun, the “Five Heroes of Langya Mountain”, and the Northeast Anti-Japanese Army. Eight female fighters are outstanding representatives among them. “The revolution is not afraid of death, and the revolution is not afraid of death.” As long as there is one person, he must fight the enemy to the end. This is the creed of the People’s Army. I read the book “The Coldest Winter” written by American David Haberstam. It was about the Korean War. It was written that what the United States and the United Nations army admire the Chinese People’s Volunteers the most is the soldiers braving powerful firepower. The brave charge of not afraid of death made them frightened.
(Speech at the All-Army Political Work Conference on October 31, 2014)
ten
Our army has always emphasized the unity of officers and soldiers, that they are completely equal in politics, and share joys and sorrows in life, forming a new type of relationship between officers and soldiers that is different from the old army. The army is like a melting pot, melting peasants, old soldiers, and captive soldiers into heroic revolutionary fighters. During the Civil Revolutionary War, millions of Kuomintang soldiers were educated by our army and turned their guns back and beat Chiang Kai-shek in turn. They have personally felt that the People’s Army is good, and the Kuomintang Army is a double heaven.
As the Spring Festival of 2019 is approaching, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the State and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, made a special trip to the Beijing Garrison on February 2. The Central Military Commission would like to extend sincere greetings and New Year blessings to all officers and soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army, officers and soldiers of the Armed Police Force, and militia reserve personnel. This is the first squadron of the Guard Service of the Support and Guarantee Brigade of the Beijing Garrison District. The soldiers wrote “Fu” to send to Chairman Xi on the spot, expressing the officers and soldiers’ New Year blessings to Chairman Xi.Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang/photo
Hard work is the political nature of our army. Comrade Mao Zedong once complained against some comrades comparing the PLA’s five bowls of sauerkraut with the capitalists. He pointed out that sauerkraut contained politics and models, and it was this sauerkraut that the PLA gained popularity. Our army was able to learn from the lesson that Li Zicheng’s army entered Beijing “a huge number of men and horses are enjoying themselves in the capital.” It did not become Li Zicheng’s second place. Fundamentally speaking, it was the result of educating officers and soldiers with the spirit of hard work.
(Speech at the All-Army Political Work Conference on October 31, 2014)
eleven
In long-term practice, our military’s political work has formed a set of fine traditions, including: upholding the party’s fundamental principles and system of commanding guns, upholding the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly, upholding the ideological line of seeking truth from facts, and upholding the fundamental style of the mass line. , Persist in arming officers and soldiers with scientific theories, persist in playing the role of guaranteeing service around the central tasks of the party and the army, insist on fair and upright selection and use of cadres, insist on the unity of officers and soldiers, promote democracy, insist on implementing conscious and strict discipline, and insist on a revolution of hard work and sacrifice. Spirit, insist that party members and cadres take the lead, lead by example, and so on. These fine traditions are the fundamental principles and content of our military’s political work. We must have a deep understanding of the important position and important role of our military’s political work, and pass on the fine traditions forged with the blood and lives of our ancestors from generation to generation.
(Speech at the All-Army Political Work Conference on October 31, 2014)
twelve
As far as the army is concerned, the core and most important thing for firm belief and conviction is to forge the soul of the army, and unswervingly uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the army. Just now, when visiting the Military History Museum, I was deeply impressed by the story of the “half belt” of the 274th Regiment of the 93rd Division of the Red 31 Army during the Long March. The soldiers of the Red Army would rather endure starvation, and they would also leave half of their belts behind and take it with them to “go to Yan’an to meet Chairman Mao.” This is the power of faith, a vivid portrayal of “the iron heart follows the party.” There are many red resources like this in the army. We must explore and use them well to enrich the connotation of the “Red Gene Generation” project, strengthen party history, military history and glorious tradition education, and ensure that officers and soldiers will always listen to and follow the party.
(Speech during the inspection of the 13th Army on January 5, 2016)
Thirteen
The victory of the Long March has enlightened us: The people’s army is the foundation of the revolution and the hope of the nation, and the party’s absolute leadership over the army is the fundamental guarantee for the victory of the people’s army. The Long March tempered the people’s army, the Long March tempered the people’s army, the Long March made the people’s army, and the Long March opened a new starting point for the development of the people’s army. The Long March is the glory of the People’s Army, and the glorious People’s Army must always inherit the great spirit and fine style of the Red Army’s Long March.
(Speech at the meeting to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March on October 21, 2016)
fourteen
Over the past 90 years, under the leadership of the party, the People’s Army has continuously moved from victory to victory, and has established outstanding achievements in history for national independence and people’s liberation, and for the prosperity of the country and the happiness of the people. In the 90 years of hard work, the People’s Army has condensed firm ideals and beliefs, fine revolutionary traditions, and tenacious fighting style, which are our precious spiritual wealth. We must bear in mind the glorious history, inherit the red gene, and continue to advance the great cause created by the revolutionary ancestors from a new starting point, and inspire and inspire the broad masses of cadres and the army to strengthen their confidence in the path to socialism with Chinese characteristics, their theoretical confidence, and their institutional confidence. , Cultural self-confidence, and strive unremittingly to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and build the people’s army into a world-class army.
(On July 21, 2017, when visiting the “Remember the glorious history and create a great cause for the army-the theme exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army”)
fifteen
The people’s army has moved from victory to victory, demonstrating the great strength of the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Comrade Mao Zedong once pointed out: “Our principle is that the party commands the guns, and the guns are never allowed to command the party.” The fundamental principle and system of the party’s absolute leadership over the military originated in the Nanchang Uprising, based on the Sanwan Reorganization, and finalized at the Gutian Conference. It is the political characteristics and fundamental advantages of the People’s Army that are completely different from all old troops. Thousands of revolutionary soldiers were determined to listen to and follow the Party, and rose up even more in setbacks, and moved forward courageously in hardships. They created an invincible, invincible, invincible steel master. On the long and stormy road of revolution, the most common sentence of our soldiers is: as long as we follow the party, we will be able to win. Loyalty has created the people’s army’s loyalty to the party, created the people’s army and the people’s love of fish and water, and created the people’s army’s firm will to charge for the party and the people.
History tells us that the party’s command of guns is the fundamental guarantee for maintaining the nature and purpose of the people’s army. This is the unbreakable truth that our party has drawn in the struggle between blood and fire. With the Communist Party of China and the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the people’s army will have a direction and strength to advance. On the way forward, the people’s army must firmly adhere to the party’s absolute leadership over the army, and regard this as the soul of the people’s army that can never be changed and the lifeblood of the people’s army, and the banner of the party should be used at all times and under any circumstances. , Taking the direction of the party as the direction and the will of the party as the will.
(Speech at the celebration of the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army on August 1, 2017)
sixteen
It is necessary to forge a strong grassroots level that listens to and follows the party to ensure that the party’s absolute leadership of the army reaches the grassroots and officers and soldiers. It is necessary to strengthen the political guidance of grassroots officers and soldiers, persist in using the party’s scientific theories to build a company and educate people, do a good job in arming officers and soldiers with socialist ideas with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the party’s ideas for strengthening the army in the new era, and deepen the idea of ”not forgetting the original aspirations and keeping in mind the mission.” The theme education and the theme education of “inheriting the red gene and taking on the important task of strengthening the army” promote the generation of the red gene project to lay the ideological and political foundation of listening to the party’s command and dedicating to the cause of strengthening the army. It is necessary to look at grassroots officers and soldiers with a perspective of trust, appreciation, and development, explore the construction of a new era of ideological and political education system, and improve the pertinence and effectiveness of education. It is necessary to strengthen the political function and organizational strength of grassroots party organizations, strengthen the construction of the secretarial team, explore and standardize the organization and operation methods, and give full play to the role of grassroots party organizations as a battle fortress and the vanguard and exemplary role of the majority of party members.
(Speech at the grassroots construction meeting of the Central Military Commission from November 8 to 10, 2019)
On the afternoon of June 11, 2018, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission inspected the Navy in the Northern Theater. This is when Xi Jinping came to a certain submarine unit, boarded the submarine, and had a cordial conversation with the crew.Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang/photo
Seventeen
It is necessary to uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the army, strengthen the party’s innovative theoretical arms, pay close attention to comprehensively and strictly governing the party and the army, and ensure that the troops are absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable. It is necessary to carry forward the fine traditions, carry on the red gene, create the unique military culture of the Marine Corps, cultivate a fighting spirit that is not afraid of hardship and death, and bring the troops to life. It is necessary to rigorously manage the education and management of the troops, and maintain a high degree of unity, security and stability of the troops. It is necessary to innovate ideas and measures, do a good job of grasping the grassroots to lay the foundation, and forging a strong grassroots. It is necessary to develop a united, fraternal, harmonious, and pure internal relationship, enthusiasm to do practical work, solve problems, and do good deeds for the officers and soldiers, and fully stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the officers and soldiers.
(Remarks during the inspection of the Marine Corps on October 13, 2020)
eighteen
In the magnificent war to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea, the heroic Chinese People’s Volunteers have always carried forward the spirit of patriotism that the interests of the motherland and the people are above everything else, and that they worked hard for the dignity of the motherland and the nation. The spirit of revolutionary optimism that struggled and always maintained high morale, the spirit of revolutionary loyalty to fulfill the mission entrusted by the motherland and the people, to generously dedicate everything to oneself, and the spirit of internationalism to fight for the cause of peace and justice for mankind, forged the great spirit of resisting the United States and aiding Korea.
The great spirit of resisting U.S. aggression and aid to Korea spans time and space, and will last forever. It must be passed on forever and carried forward from generation to generation.
(Speech at the meeting to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People’s Volunteers’ mission to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea on October 23, 2020)
nineteen
It is necessary to uphold the party’s absolute leadership over the military, strengthen the party’s innovative theoretical arms, pay close attention to comprehensively and strictly governing the party and the military, do a good job in ideological work, and ensure that the troops are absolutely loyal, absolutely pure, and absolutely reliable, and will always be the party and the people’s Loyal guard. It is necessary to implement the deployment requirements of the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission, do a good job in learning and education of party history in light of the actual situation, highlight the study of party history, understand ideas, do practical things, and create new situations, and educate and guide officers and soldiers to keep in mind the original mission, inherit the red gene, and take on the important task of strengthening the army. We must insist on strengthening the foundation and consolidating the foundation, persistently grasp the grassroots to lay the foundation, strictly enforce the education and management of the army, enthusiastically solve problems for the officers and soldiers, and build a solid grassroots in an all-round way.
(Speech during the inspection of the Second Mobile Corps of the Armed Police Force on March 24, 2021)
※This is an excerpt from the speech of General Secretary Xi Jinping from November 2012 to March 2021 on strengthening the education of party history, military history and glorious traditions, and ensuring that officers and soldiers always listen to and follow the party.