Creating a New Situation of Reform and Strengthening the Military: A Review of the Achievements of National Defense and Military Reform Since the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China
2024-07-08
On the great journey of reforming and strengthening the People's Army, we have once again ushered in an important moment that has been recorded in history——
On April 19, 2024, the founding ceremony of the Information Support Force of the People's Liberation Army of China was grandly held at the August 1st Building in Beijing.
He pointed out that the adjustment and establishment of information support forces is a major decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission from the perspective of the overall cause of strengthening the military. It is a strategic measure to build a new type of military structure layout and improve the modern military force system with Chinese characteristics. It has significant and far-reaching significance for accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military, and effectively fulfilling the mission and tasks of the People's Army in the new era.
According to the decision of the Central Military Commission, the newly established information support force will be directly led and commanded by the Central Military Commission. At the same time, the designation of the strategic support force will be revoked, and the leadership and management relationships of the military aerospace force and the cyberspace force will be adjusted accordingly.
Reform is a requirement of the times to realize the Chinese Dream and the dream of building a strong military, a necessary path for building a strong military, and a key move that determines the future of the military.
Reform promotes a strong military, and a strong military supports a strong country.
Strategic planning, commanding the helm and leading the way
Reform is a distinctive feature of contemporary China and a distinct character of Communist Party members.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era, and national defense and military construction have also entered a new era.
A strong country must strengthen its military, and a strong military must undergo reform. The military must keep up with the central government and resolutely promote various reforms in the military with the spirit of breaking through mountains and building bridges across rivers. Everyone must have such a historical responsibility.
Only reformers advance, only innovators are strong.
After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, our army underwent 13 significant reforms, continuously adjusting the size and structure of the troops, and playing an important role in different historical periods. Meanwhile, the deep-seated contradictions that constrain national defense and military construction still exist to varying degrees due to various factors.
"The reform of national defense and the military has entered a period of tackling difficulties and deep waters, and most of the problems that need to be solved are institutional obstacles, structural contradictions, and policy issues that have accumulated over the long term. It is indeed not easy to push forward." President Xi warned the entire military, "Without reform, we cannot fight or win."
Deep thinking leads to more steadfast action.
In November 2013, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was held. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has decided to incorporate the deepening of national defense and military reform into the overall agenda of comprehensive deepening reform, elevating it to the will of the Party and the behavior of the state.
For the first time in the history of the plenary session, the reform of national defense and the military was included as a separate part of the decision.
The General Secretary of the Party personally served as the leader of the Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform of the Central Military Commission, which was also the first time.
These two extraordinary "firsts" demonstrate the firm will and strong determination of the Party's core, military commanders, and people's leaders to deepen national defense and military reform. They greatly inspire and gather the powerful force of all military officers and soldiers to support, support, and devote themselves to reform, becoming the fundamental guarantee for promoting reform.
For a large country's military, there are goals and layout issues, positions and viewpoints, as well as methods and paths to change.
Reform always focuses on problems and forces reform with problems. At each stage of reform, each plan points out the methods and paths to solve practical problems, and the solutions to each practical problem ultimately converge into specific reform measures.
Deepening national defense and military reform is a comprehensive transformation that requires strengthening top-level planning and system design. At an important meeting of the military, President Xi emphasized the need to grasp the correlation and coupling of reform measures, so that various reforms such as the leadership and command system, power structure, and policy system can promote and complement each other, forming an overall effect and achieving overall results.
The layout of the article is well planned, and there is a sound in the layout.
Establish an expert advisory group for the Central Military Commission to deepen national defense and military reform leadership group; Establish a military policy and institutional reform consulting and evaluation expert database composed of over 200 experts and leaders from the military and civilian sectors, fully leveraging the role of third-party independent evaluation; Assign research and demonstration tasks to the Academy of Military Sciences and the National Defense University, and play their role as think tanks
Gather the wisdom of the entire army and all aspects to form the "greatest common divisor" of reform. President Xi went to the government office, entered the platoon, went to the plateau, went to islands, boarded tanks, and boarded warships to conduct in-depth investigation and research. The whole army and all parties are actively providing suggestions and suggestions, from outside the army to inside the army, from government agencies to troops, from generals to soldiers; Field research in various directions, discussions and interviews at all levels, and large-scale questionnaire surveys; A series of situation reports, letters of opinions, and online comments... Many good ideas, suggestions, and ideas have entered the reform plan.
In July 2015, President Xi presided over the meetings of the Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform of the Central Military Commission, the Executive Meeting of the Central Military Commission, and the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau, which reviewed and approved the overall plan for deepening national defense and military reform.
From the overall layout of the Party and the state to the coupling of various systems in the military, from the overall plan, major field plans to special plans, from the leadership and command system, the scale and structure of the military, and the orderly promotion of military policy and institutional reform, the goal map, roadmap, and construction map of the reform of the People's Army in the new era have been drawn. A historic transformation of rebirth from the ashes and striving for new strength is flourishing.
Overcoming difficulties and deepening reforms
The development history of the People's Army is a history of reform and innovation.
November 24, 2015, a day destined to be recorded in the history of the People's Army.
The commander-in-chief's orders indicate that the entire army, upon hearing the orders, will unite, make efforts towards the battle, and overcome difficulties.
The leadership and command system has achieved a historic transformation——
The reform of the leadership and command system implements the principles of the Military Commission managing the overall affairs, theater of operations, and branches of the military building the overall affairs. It breaks the long-standing headquarters system, major military region system, and army system, and constructs a leadership and management system of the Central Military Commission, branches of the military, and units, as well as a combat command system of the Central Military Commission, theater of operations, and units. It establishes a new "four beams and eight pillars" for the People's Army. The "Four Headquarters" have withdrawn from the historical stage, and 15 functional departments of the Military Commission have been adjusted and established. The path of command, construction, management, and supervision has become clearer, and the allocation of functions such as decision-making, planning, execution, and evaluation has become more reasonable. The Military Commission has effectively strengthened its centralized and unified leadership, strategic planning, and management functions. The seven major military regions have completed their historical mission, reorganized and established five major war zones, improved the joint combat command structure of the Military Commission and Theater Command, and built a strategic campaign command system that integrates peace and war, operates normally, specializes in main operations, and is efficient and efficient. The leadership and management system of military branches has been further improved. The Armed Police Force is under the centralized and unified leadership of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the Central Military Commission. The reserve forces are fully integrated into the military leadership and command system. Entering the "new system time", the vast number of officers and soldiers have both "turned their bodies" and "changed their minds", freeing themselves from all outdated thinking patterns, inherent patterns, and path dependence. The barriers to unity are gradually broken down, and the effectiveness of warfare is gradually highlighted.
In each exercise and training session, previously relatively independent units of different branches and services are regularly conducting joint exercises and training under the coordination of the theater of war; The data information that was difficult to share in the past is now efficiently circulated among various branches of the military in the theater of war; Reconnaissance is no longer "fighting on its own", command is no longer "singing their own tune", firepower is no longer "fighting their own", and joint iron fists are forged one by one.
Profound reshaping of military scale, structure, and force composition——
This is a new data that has never appeared in the history of the People's Army: the proportion of the army's total personnel has decreased to less than 50%; The number of active personnel in non combat organizations of the entire army has been reduced by nearly half, and the number of officers has been reduced by 30%
This is a new term that has never appeared in the history of the People's Army: composite brigade, air assault brigade, aircraft carrier formation, airborne troops, information support force, joint logistics support force
The dialectics of reduction and increase is not only about slimming down, but also about strengthening the body, and it is a revolutionary force reshaping. Reform the scale, structure, and force composition to promote the development of the military towards enrichment, synthesis, versatility, and flexibility.
On April 27, 2017, the Ministry of National Defense announced at a regular press conference that 18 group military codes of the Army had been revoked, and the 13 group military codes that had been adjusted and formed were simultaneously announced. In addition, the newly adjusted and formed units also include many new combat forces.
After the adjustment, our army has become more streamlined in scale, optimized in structure, and organized more scientifically, fundamentally changing the long-term power structure of land warfare, the deployment of national defense forces, and the victory model of heavy military groups and quantity based tactics. New types of combat forces such as strategic warning, long-range defense, strategic delivery, and information support have been enriched and strengthened, and a joint combat force system mainly composed of elite combat forces is being formed.
Comprehensive promotion of military policy and institutional reform——
Recently, in 2024, the entire military has publicly recruited civilian personnel who have been hired to report to various units. In June 2018, the entire military publicly recruited civilian personnel for the first time, and among the recruited personnel, the highly educated group and the "second enlistment" group were particularly eye-catching. This marks a significant increase in the openness and competitiveness of our military's talent introduction work. Civilian personnel are an integral part of the military and play an increasingly important role.
Let the vitality of all combat effectiveness elements burst forth, and let the source of modernization construction of all armies flow fully. The establishment and improvement of the new civilian personnel system is a vivid epitome of the policy and institutional reform of the People's Army.
This reform completely changes the previous fragmented approach, including systematic planning, forward-looking design, innovative development, and overall reshaping. It establishes and improves the military policy and institutional system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, forming four major sections of the military party building system, military force utilization policy system, military force construction policy system, and military management policy system.
President Xi presided over a meeting of the Central Political Bureau, which successively reviewed and passed the backbone systems of our military's party building, such as the "Regulations on the Construction of the Communist Party of China's Military Party" and the "Regulations on Military Political Work". The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has successively reviewed and passed military laws such as the newly revised National Defense Law of the People's Republic of China, the newly revised Military Service Law of the People's Republic of China, and the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Status and Rights of Military Personnel.
Establish the Central Military Commission Talent Work Leading Group and the Central Military Commission Cadre Evaluation Committee. The Provisional Regulations on the Management of Active Service Officers and 11 supporting policy systems have been introduced, and substantial progress has been made in establishing a professional system for officers with Chinese characteristics. Promulgate the Provisional Regulations on Sergeants, the Provisional Regulations on Compulsory Soldiers, the newly revised Regulations on Civilian Personnel of the People's Liberation Army of China, and supporting regulations.
Establish a military honor system and hold ceremonies for awarding honors and titles; Optimizing the treatment of military personnel, distributing parental support subsidies and spouse honor funds, implementing new medical security policies such as free medical care for military spouses and children... One heartwarming thing after another, enhancing the sense of professional honor among officers and soldiers, and making military personnel a respected profession in the whole society.
The reform of military policy and system has matured one by one, and more than 20 basic regulations in major fields have been successively introduced. A large number of supporting policy systems and major reform measures have been intensively introduced, further liberating the combat effectiveness of the military and the vitality of officers and soldiers, and continuously releasing the effectiveness of reform.
Deepening the implementation of major cross military and civilian reforms——
Just after the Spring Festival in 2018, the Third Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China approved the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions and the Plan for Deepening the Reform of Party and State Institutions, among which deepening cross military and civilian reforms is an important content.
In combination with deepening the reform of party and state institutions, deepening the cross military and civilian reform of the People's Armed Police Force, promoting the reform of active public security forces, and establishing the Department of Veterans Affairs; Implement air traffic control system reform and establish the Central Air Traffic Management Committee; Promote the reform of the national defense mobilization system and build a modern national defense mobilization force system; The comprehensive cessation of paid military services and the basic realization of the goal of the military not engaging in business activities
"If all forces are united, there is not enough room for action." Central government agencies, local party committees and governments, and various sectors of society have introduced a series of policy measures to support and serve reform, and the military and civilians have gathered a strong force to promote reform.
In the late autumn of 2021, the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China passed the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party's Centenary Struggle, fully affirming the historic achievements made in deepening national defense and military reform, calling it the "most extensive and profound national defense and military reform since the founding of New China.".
Restructuring and reshaping towards world-class status
The reform and strengthening of the military have brought a series of profound changes to the People's Army. The People's Army is accelerating its transformation in the "new system time": the Army's mobile combat and three-dimensional offensive and defensive capabilities are significantly enhanced, the Navy is accelerating the transformation from coastal defense to deep-sea defense, the Air Force is accelerating the transformation to air space integration and offensive and defensive capabilities, and the Rocket Force is continuously strengthening its nuclear and conventional capabilities and comprehensive deterrence capabilities
This is the new look of a strong military demonstrated by the People's Army after the reform and reshaping——
In July 2023, at the Air Force Aviation Open Event Changchun Aviation Exhibition, the J-20 was showcased for the first time in a four aircraft formation for mobile flight, the Y-20 was showcased for the first time in an air refueling field display with the J-20 and J-16 in the same frame as the five aircraft, and the J-10S and J-11BS were showcased for the first time in simulated air combat with different aircraft
This event demonstrated the rapid development level of equipment, the quality and effectiveness of practical military training, and the strategic ability to defend national sovereignty, security, and development interests of the People's Air Force.
"The Yunyou-20 is no longer a single static display or single aircraft flight display, but a comprehensive presentation of system capabilities, showcasing the combat posture commonly used in our daily combat training." Yunyou-20 pilot Wang Yuling said, "The reform of the strong military strategy has enabled the People's Army to achieve a historic change in organizational form and force system. It is precisely because of the reform that our troops are reorganized and reshaped, accelerating their progress towards world-class status."
On October 1, 2019, more than 200000 soldiers and civilians celebrated the 70th anniversary of the Republic of China with a grand military parade and mass march.
This is the first National Day parade of socialism with Chinese characteristics entering a new era, and also the first overall appearance after the reform and reshaping of the armed forces of the Republic.
The leadership and command team, which made its debut, is a team with the most distinctive marks of reform and strengthening the military and joint combat command. Its members were drawn from 15 departments of the Military Commission, as well as various war zones, military branches, and armed police forces.
The leadership command team created two firsts: the first team in the history of the People's Army parade to be drawn from the leadership command organization, and the first team composed of generals in the first row.
This military parade, for the first time, set up joint logistics support units, academic research units, civilian personnel and other teams, showcasing the overall and revolutionary reshaping of the organizational structure and force system of national defense and the military, and showcasing the new composition and style of the People's Army in the new era.
580 sets of ground equipment form 32 equipment squadrons, and more than 160 fighter jets from land, sea, and air forces form 12 air echelons... All of the reviewed equipment is made in China, with 40% making its debut, demonstrating the tremendous momentum of the People's Liberation Army's basic mechanization and acceleration towards informatization.
This is a more streamlined and efficient command system demonstrated by the People's Army after the reform and reshaping——
Military experts believe that during the exercise, under the unified command of the Eastern Theater Command, multiple branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force, participated together, demonstrating the collaborative ability and overall combat strength of the Chinese military in joint operations after the reform and restructuring.
More than four years ago, the COVID-19 broke out.
With a single command, medical personnel from multiple medical units such as the Army, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, Joint Logistics Support Force, and Armed Police Force quickly gathered to support Wuhan.
Aviation, railways, highways, three-dimensional delivery; Efficient circulation of manpower, materials, and information; Active duty military personnel, civilian personnel, and militia work closely together; Joint command, joint formation, military civilian cooperation
"The true speed of war is to enter a state quickly, gather troops quickly, and carry out actions quickly." "Command and coordinate a map, use power in a game of chess, and implement a rod, which is the true system of warfare." Some military observers have commented on the performance of the Chinese army in the Wuhan anti epidemic operation. Without preparation time, no pre combat rehearsals, and a decisive battle in the first battle, the People's Army delivered an excellent answer sheet in this special battle, stating that they had to go to the front line on the day of receiving orders, control the situation for three weeks, and complete the task within three months. This miraculous "speed" stems from the more efficient command system, more streamlined force scale, and more scientific structure of the People's Army after its reform and reshaping.
"The anti epidemic response of the people's army condenses the ability reshaping of the people's army and the changes of the times, and shows a new look and winning spirit of the army after the reform and reshaping." Yin Hao, an academician of the CAS Member and a researcher of the Academy of Systems Engineering of the Academy of Military Sciences, believes that although the fight against the epidemic is a non war military action, it tests and reflects the actual combat ability of the people's army after the reform and reshaping.
Military experts believe that after the reform and adjustment, the concept of preparing for war and conducting joint combat and training has been further strengthened throughout the military. Each theater of war plays a pivotal role in joint combat and training, and all branches of the military closely connect with the joint combat capability requirements of the theater of war. With the support system of military branch capability training, joint training is carried out to continuously improve the contribution rate of winning battles.
This is a new type of training style explored by the People's Army after the reform and reshaping——
From September 11th to 25th, 2021, the "Peace Mission-2021" SCO joint anti-terrorism military exercise was held at the East Guz shooting range in Orenburg Oblast, Russia.
In this joint exercise, the command structure of the Chinese participating troops is mainly composed of the Northern Theater Command, which is the Chinese director's headquarters and the Chinese anti-terrorism cluster command headquarters. The task force is mainly composed of a brigade synthesis battalion in the Northern Theater Command, and is assigned to relevant support units.
Under the new system and organization, the Chinese participating troops in the composite battalion have infantry, armored forces, artillery, as well as reconnaissance, communication, engineering and other forces. It integrates multiple branches of the armed forces and achieves the reshaping and leap of force structure, personnel composition, equipment composition, and element composition. It can connect and combine with various combat forces, modular composition, and fully leverage its advantages of miniaturization, versatility, and refinement, allowing each combat unit and element to maximize the system's combat capabilities.
On September 23rd, during a live fire exercise, the reporter saw the modular and versatile combat formation advantages of the composite battalion in a new type of combat command vehicle. They boldly practiced the new combat style of multi-source perception of combat command, highly integrated combat elements, and multi-dimensional expansion of combat space, maximizing the role of the composite battalion's "forward tentacles".
On July 23, 2023, with the successful completion of the "Anchorage Defense" exercise of the naval fleet, the "Northern · United 2023" exercise completed various scheduled exercise tasks.
The exercise revolves around the theme of "maintaining the security of maritime strategic channels". The sea and air forces of China and Russia jointly plan, command, and engage in joint operations, effectively honing and testing their ability to engage in long-range combat in the long sea. Innovative breakthroughs have been made in the form of joint exercise organization and the mode of force integration.
On May 17, 2024, the first full element and full process live fire joint training of the Sino Mongolian "Grassland Companion-2024" Army was held at a training ground in the eastern Gobi Province of Mongolia.
The participating troops of China and Mongolia jointly conducted joint training on the topic of dealing with illegal armed group activities in accordance with the basic tactics of "comprehensive depth and precision attack on key points, multi-directional centripetal assault, and regional clearance and encirclement".
……
A new system, new forces, new equipment, new tactics... The People's Army has undergone a new transformation from the inside out, with a more confident sword to deter the enemy.
There is no end to reform. The People's Army, which is courageously advancing on the path of reform and building a strong military, will continue to win new victories in national defense and military modernization——
In 2027, achieve the centenary goal of building the military;
By 2035, basic modernization of national defense and the military will be achieved;
In the mid-20th century, the People's Army was comprehensively built into a world-class military...
Edit：He Chuanning Responsible editor：Su Suiyue
Source：Xinhua
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