Personnel Political Work

Special Issue on Political Strengthening of the Military · Political Rectification Training | Making Ready 'The Most Arduous War Preparation'

政治建军专刊·政治整训丨做好“最艰巨的战争准备”

PLA Daily (解放军报) 11 May 2026

Summary

A PLA political work article published under a special issue on military political strengthening calls on all command levels to embed political loyalty screening into talent cultivation as the primary standard, framing ideological reliability—not professional competence alone—as the prerequisite for officer advancement and describing talent force building as 'the most arduous war preparation.' The piece invokes Xi Jinping's remarks at both the NPC delegation session and the senior cadre training course opening to authorize a campaign linking political rectification training (政治整训) with realistic combat readiness, cross-establishment joint training platforms, and elimination of seniority-based promotion. The article is consistent with the post-Rocket Force purge pattern of using political rectification campaigns to reassert Party control over officer corps advancement criteria while simultaneously pressing combat proficiency standards—signaling that the two imperatives are being pursued in tandem rather than traded off.

Translation

Making Ready 'The Most Arduous War Preparation'

■ Wang Liang

When talent is strong, the cause is strong; when talent flourishes, the military flourishes. When attending the plenary session of the PLA and People's Armed Police Forces delegation to the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress, Chairman Xi emphasized the need to strengthen the building of a revolutionized (革命化) and specialized (专业化) talent force. At the opening ceremony of the senior cadre training course for the entire military, Chairman Xi again stressed the need to "strengthen the revolutionary tempering (革命性锻造) of our military's cadre force." This sets forth new deployments and new requirements for doing well the talent work of our military, and provides an action guide and fundamental basis for comprehensively strengthening the talent work of our military in the new era.

The building of a talent force bears on the success or failure, the rise or decline, of the cause of strengthening the military, and is called "the most arduous war preparation." As new equipment and new technologies are continuously fielded to the troops, even a slight lag in talent force building will fail to keep pace with mission requirements, and work on talent cultivation, utilization, and management will easily fall behind the times. Therefore, it is imperative to continuously strengthen the building of a revolutionized and specialized talent force, and to better bring into play the leading and supporting role of talent in the cause of strengthening the military.

"Victory or defeat in war depends entirely on unity of will (兵之胜负，全在一心)." In the course of deepening political rectification training (政治整训), all levels must persist in placing revolutionary tempering in the foremost position, treat the consolidation of political loyalty as the primary standard for talent cultivation, and ensure that the barrel of the gun is always held in the hands of those who are loyal and reliable to the Party. Cases of fallen leading cadres are sufficient to demonstrate that if an individual's personal ability is outstanding yet is not underpinned by firm revolutionary ideals and convictions, it is easy to deviate from one's values in the face of money and fame, and to betray one's original aspiration and mission. Therefore, in the process of talent cultivation, it is necessary to strengthen the tempering of a revolutionized work style (革命化作风), to run political standards, political principles, and political requirements throughout the entire process of day-to-day training and management, and to guide personnel to carry forward the red gene (红色基因), strengthen theoretical arming (理论武装), always bear in mind the nature, purpose, and character of the people's military, and consciously and proactively reinforce combat spirit (战斗精神), discipline awareness, and work-style cultivation, so as to forever preserve the purity and glory of the revolutionary soldier.

Achievements are completed through talent; undertakings are expanded through talent. Strengthening the tempering of specialized capabilities is the key link in cultivating talent for the cause of strengthening the military. In today's era, military theory, weapons and equipment, organizational forms, and other aspects are all undergoing profound transformation; combat readiness training faces higher standards and requirements. It is precisely at such moments that there is the greatest need to build a specialized talent force to drive the cause of strengthening the military powerfully forward. All levels must consistently uphold combat effectiveness as the sole and fundamental standard, treat realistic combat training (实战化训练) as the whetstone and touchstone for the growth of military talent, continuously tighten and strengthen the training, exercise, and examination ethos (训风演风考风), and allow officers and soldiers to be tempered and forged in major tasks and arduous environments, achieving the transformation of theoretical knowledge into actual combat capability and the leap of professional competence into the ability to win. It is necessary to closely follow the evolving trends in modern warfare forms, operational methods, and the mechanisms of victory, break down barriers to joint operations, build cross-establishment (跨建制), cross-specialty, and cross-service-branch platforms for military training and exchange, and compel officers and soldiers to strengthen professional skills, innovate tactics and operational methods, and refine their warfighting proficiency through genuine combat and real resistance, growing into crack troops and strong commanders capable of shouldering heavy responsibilities and defeating powerful enemies.

"The plan for a year is no better than growing grain; the plan for ten years is no better than planting trees; the plan for a lifetime is no better than cultivating people (一年之计，莫如树谷；十年之计，莫如树木；终身之计，莫如树人)." The growth of talent cannot be separated from a sound environment. All levels must adhere to the principles of cultivating virtue and developing people (立德树人) and cultivating people for war (为战育人), resolutely eliminate unhealthy tendencies such as seniority-based advancement and balancing of favors, firmly establish the orientation of standing on the basis of quality and advancing on the basis of actual performance, foster an atmosphere and environment in which the outstanding are given priority, the capable can rise, and those who contribute have a place, so that more talent will want to do things, be able to do things, be willing to do things, and get things done—giving full play to their abilities at their respective combat posts, rendering meritorious service in the military, and injecting inexhaustible drive into the cause of strengthening the military in the new era.

Original Chinese

做好“最艰巨的战争准备” ■王亮人才强则事业强，人才兴则军队兴。习主席在出席十四届全国人大四次会议解放军和武警部队代表团全体会议时强调，要加强革命化专业化人才队伍建设。在全军高级干部培训班开班式上，习主席再次强调要“加强我军干部队伍革命性锻造”。这为做好我军人才工作提出新部署新要求，为全面加强新时代我军人才工作提供了行动指南和根本遵循。人才队伍建设，关乎强军事业成败兴衰，被称为“最艰巨的战争准备”。随着新装备新技术不断列装部队，人才队伍建设稍有滞后就跟不上任务需求，人才培养、使用、管理工作就容易落在时代后面。因此，必须不断加强革命化专业化人才队伍建设，更好发挥人才对强军事业的引领和支撑作用。 “兵之胜负，全在一心。”深化政治整训中，各级必须坚持把革命性锻造摆在首要位置，把筑牢政治忠诚当作人才培养的第一标准，确保枪杆子始终掌握在对党忠诚可靠的人手中。一些领导干部落马的案例足以说明，如果个人能力出众，却没有坚定的革命理想信念支撑，就容易在金钱名利面前偏离价值取向，违背初心使命。因此在人才培养过程中，要加强革命化作风锤炼，把政治标准、政治原则和政治要求贯穿日常训练管理全过程，引导他们传承红色基因、加强理论武装，始终牢记人民军队的性质、宗旨与本色，自觉主动强化战斗精神、纪律意识与作风养成，永葆革命军人的纯洁光荣。功以才成，业由才广。加强专业化能力锤炼，是培育强军人才的关键环节。当今时代，军事理论、武器装备、组织形态等各方面都在发生深刻变革，战备训练面临更高标准和要求，越是这种时刻，越需要建设一支专业化的人才队伍，推动强军事业有力向前。各级要始终坚持战斗力这个唯一的根本的标准，把实战化训练当作军事人才成长的磨刀石、试金石，不断严实训风演风考风，让官兵在重大任务、艰苦环境中摔打磨练，实现理论知识向实战能力转化、专业素养向打赢本领跃升。要紧跟现代战争形态、作战方式与制胜机理演变趋势，打破联合作战壁垒，搭建跨建制、跨专业、跨军兵种练兵交流平台，倒逼官兵在真打实抗中练强专业技能、创新战术战法、精进打仗本领，成长为能担重任、能克强敌的精兵强将。 “一年之计，莫如树谷；十年之计，莫如树木；终身之计，莫如树人。”人才成长离不开良好环境，各级要坚持立德树人、为战育人原则，坚决摒弃论资排辈、平衡照顾等不良风气，树牢凭素质立身、靠实绩进步导向，营造优秀者优先、能干者能上、有为者有位的氛围环境，让更多人才想干事、能干事、愿干事、干成事，在各自战位上施展才华、建功军营，为新时代强军事业注入不竭动力。