Welcoming the Centenary of the Army's Founding with a Completely New Political Bearing — A Glimpse of the First All-Army Senior Cadre Training Course

Welcoming the Centenary of the Army's Founding with a Completely New Political Bearing — A Glimpse of the First All-Army Senior Cadre Training Course

■ PLA Daily Correspondents Li Bingzheng, Liu Baorui, Zhong Xia

In the height of midsummer, all things flourish together. The campus of the National Defense University, situated in the western suburbs of Beijing, was suffused throughout with an atmosphere of study, reflection, and inquiry.

From April 8 to June 16, the First All-Army Senior Cadre Training Course was held at the National Defense University. Chairman Xi attended the opening ceremony and delivered an important address, emphasizing the need to be guided by the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, to thoroughly implement the Thought on Strengthening the Military for a New Era, to carry out ideological rectification (思想整风), to deepen political consolidation training (政治整训), to strengthen the revolutionary tempering of our military's cadre corps, to always preserve the purity and glory of the People's Army, and to welcome the centenary of the Army's founding with a completely new political bearing.

Reading source texts, receiving thematic instruction, conducting study visits, and engaging in seminars and exchanges… Over the course of 10 weeks, the trainees persisted in reading original works, studying original texts, and comprehending original principles; they studied deeply and comprehended deeply Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military; they placed special emphasis on thoroughly studying the spirit of Chairman Xi's important address at the opening ceremony; they closely focused on rectifying work styles and combating corruption to thoroughly cleanse pernicious influences and accumulated malpractices (流毒积弊) from their ideological roots; and they consciously drew nourishment from fine traditions to sustain the original aspirations (初心) with which they joined the Party, enlisted in the military, and became commanders. They displayed a new bearing befitting the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military.

The trainees unanimously expressed that, as senior military cadres, they must profoundly comprehend the decisive significance of the "Two Establishes" (两个确立), strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses" (四个意识), firm up the "Four Confidences" (四个自信), achieve the "Two Safeguards" (两个维护), implement the system of Chairman of the Central Military Commission responsibility, establish and practice a correct view of political performance (政绩观), and, through concrete actions of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility, lead their units to fight well the battles of the toughest challenges and strive to open up a new landscape for strengthening and revitalizing the military.

Consolidating and Deepening the Results of Political Consolidation Training, Tempering the Backbone of the Cause of Strengthening the Military——

Ideological Rectification, Political Tempering

Looking back at the glorious course by which our Party and our military advanced from weakness to strength and from victory to victory, it is not difficult to see that whenever the revolution stood at a turning point, it was invariably the senior cadres who were the first to undergo ideological renewal.

During the Yan'an period, Comrade Mao Zedong explicitly required senior cadres to "reflect carefully and serve as models." At that time, it was stipulated that every military commander and political commissar must receive at least four months of concentrated study every two years. Moreover, Mao Zedong personally taught cadre students at the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University (抗大), cultivating a large cohort of outstanding commanders armed with Mao Zedong Thought, who went from the school to the battlefield and on to victory.

At this critical juncture of comprehensively advancing the great cause of national rejuvenation and building a strong country through Chinese-path modernization, and at this historical turning point in the new "three-step" strategic progression of national defense and military modernization, Chairman Xi personally decided to hold the All-Army Senior Cadre Training Course, to temper a senior cadre corps that is loyal, clean, and responsible and capable of shouldering the weighty responsibilities of strengthening the military, and to lead everyone to step forward with a completely new bearing onto the front lines of combat, construction, and readiness, and to stride boldly on the new journey of strengthening the military and winning wars.

This training is a strategic measure to consolidate and deepen the results of political consolidation training and to temper the backbone of the cause of strengthening the military. It is of great and far-reaching significance for ideologically and politically building up the People's Army—especially its senior cadre corps—and for steadily advancing national defense and military modernization.

Listening on-site and carefully absorbing the Commander-in-Chief's earnest teachings, the trainees unanimously held that Chairman Xi's important address, running through history and the present, theory and practice, answered the contemporary question of how to advance political army-building (政治建军) and consolidate purity and glory under new historical conditions. It is permeated with a clear orientation toward deepening political consolidation training through the spirit of thorough self-revolution (彻底的自我革命精神). Profound in thought and rich in content, it delivered to cadres at all levels of the entire military—especially senior cadres—a profound lesson in ideological-political education and Party-spirit tempering (党性淬炼).

The Central Military Commission attached great importance to this training, approaching and advancing it from the height of its bearing on the Party's absolute leadership over the military and on the military's development and future. Preparations were carried out at a high starting point and to a high standard, with strict and solid implementation; responsibilities were firmly assigned and shouldered proactively; a clear problem-orientation was maintained; key points were grasped to run through the integration of study, reflection, and practice, improving the quality and effectiveness of organizing and conducting instruction; and explicit requirements were set to make it a course in cultivating loyalty (忠诚培塑班) and a course in tempering Party-spirit (党性淬炼班).

Practice has proven that only by deepening ideological rectification, advancing political consolidation training, continuously strengthening revolutionary tempering, and ensuring that the "critical minority" (关键少数) of senior cadres receive education first and receive it genuinely—undergoing a renewal and tempering from the inside out—can they truly set the standard and motivate officers and soldiers through their own uprightness, cleanliness, and fortitude, and thereby gather the powerful force needed to strive for the centenary of the Army's founding and press forward to build a first-class military.

Emphasizing Theoretical Arming to Consolidate the Foundation and Cultivate the Source, Firming Up Ideals and Convictions and Loyalty to the Party——

Studying and Comprehending the Thought, Establishing Roots and Forging the Soul

Session after session of concentrated lectures clarified the essential principles; round after round of collective study reinforced confidence and self-awareness; round after round of discussion and analysis examined ideological deviations…

Driving the Party's innovative theories to truly enter the mind was the fundamental task and the main course and main thread of this training. In terms of curriculum design, the training course emphasized the unity of "knowing, believing, and acting" (知、信、行), running the insistence on using the Party's innovative theories to restore the original and eliminate the false throughout the entire course, taking the study of the spirit of Chairman Xi's important address at the opening ceremony as the foundation, and making genuine efforts to achieve real results in transforming thought and shaping the soul.

Grasping Systematic Study and Comprehension——

The training course was carefully designed, adopting an integrated and mutually reinforcing model of "expert instruction, collective study, and individual self-study." More than 40 sessions of theoretical lectures and more than 10 sessions of focused reading of key texts were arranged in succession, encompassing both systematic study of Chairman Xi's new concepts, new thinking, and new strategies, and deep study and careful comprehension of important expositions across various fields, as well as follow-up study of the latest important addresses, guiding trainees to settle down and study the original texts thoroughly and systematically, achieving not only knowledge of what but also knowledge of why.

Taking notes in the classroom, exchanging views in discussions… The trainees greatly cherished this opportunity to study. In their notebooks, page after page was filled with insights and key points for speeches; during discussions, every trainee made targeted remarks, and interjections and questions frequently arose.

Grasping Active Introspection and Self-Transformation——

Comprehension of thought deepens through reflection; understanding of patterns is elevated through collision of ideas.

After the opening ceremony concluded, the trainees were divided into multiple small groups, and, centering on Chairman Xi's important address at the opening ceremony and in connection with their respective work realities, they shared their experiences, expressed their understandings, and discussed measures.

The lights in the trainees' dormitory building often remained on until late at night. Everyone carried forward the spirit that Comrade Mao Zedong emphasized during the Yan'an Rectification—"to focus on studying and reflecting on oneself"—and, targeting such phenomena as failing to connect theoretical study to oneself and not placing oneself in the picture, they reflected and engaged in introspection in connection with the Party's historical mission, the military's mission tasks, and their own responsibilities, examining gains and losses, experience, lessons, gaps, and shortcomings. Through mutual exchange and inspiration, they deepened their inner recognition of and faith in the Party's innovative theories.

Grasping the Renewal of Thinking and Concepts——

Transforming one's outlook is the foremost step in converting theory into practice and putting it into action. The training course arranged case-based teaching, analysis of real cases, and diagnosis of difficult problems, guiding trainees to exchange their experiences in applying the standpoints, viewpoints, and methods embedded in the Party's innovative theories to solve practical problems, strengthening the establishment of concepts such as high-quality development, military governance, and reform and innovation, and turning the training into a process of changing one's thinking and renewing one's mindset.

In the classroom, in the dormitories, at the dining table… Over the course of more than two months, scenes of trainees discussing and exchanging views could be seen everywhere on campus. This rich atmosphere continuously deepened the trainees' understanding and comprehension of the Party's innovative theories.

In the course of study and discussion, many trainees noted that in order to enhance the consciousness and thoroughness of ideological self-transformation, one must treat the strengthening of theoretical arming with the Party's innovative theories as the foremost political task and a long-term strategic task. Only by genuinely understanding the theory, thoroughly comprehending the thought, and achieving the integration of study, reflection, and application and the unity of knowing, believing, and acting can one continuously forge the courage to dare to fight, sharpen the ability to win battles, and stimulate the wisdom to fight well, effectively fulfilling the mission tasks of the People's Army in the new era.

Solidifying the Ideological Line of Defense Against Corruption and Degeneration, Permanently Preserving the Political Character of Integrity and Uprightness——

Cleansing Pernicious Influences, Restoring the Original and Eliminating the False

Corruption is a stumbling block and an obstacle in the path of the development of the Party, the state, and the military's cause. Chairman Xi emphasized at the opening ceremony that our Party is a Marxist political party that always represents the fundamental interests of the broadest masses of the people; it has no special interests of its own whatsoever, and all thoughts and behaviors of seeking private gain and engaging in corruption are utterly incompatible with the Party's nature and purpose.

The military wields the gun; there must absolutely be no one in the military who harbors disloyalty to the Party, and there must absolutely be no place for corrupt elements to hide. Senior military cadres occupy important posts and play a key role in unit building. They must take the lead in resisting the unhealthy tendencies of seeking private gain and engaging in corruption; they must understand laws and discipline, be clear about rules and regulations, and maintain a sense of awe; they must be strict in self-cultivation, strict in the exercise of power, and strict in self-discipline—only then can they truly set the standard and serve as a model for officers and soldiers through their conduct and concrete actions of loyalty, integrity, and responsibility. The training course, with an eye toward purifying thought, purifying the ranks, and purifying the ecosystem, cleansed pernicious influences and eliminated malpractices to the standard of thorough eradication, guiding trainees to uproot erroneous ideological roots and establish correct values.

Turning the Knife Inward to Deeply Excavate the Source of Pernicious Influences——

Collectively studying relevant important texts, receiving expert theoretical lectures and instruction; organizing case analysis and seminars; watching the artistic situational lesson (文艺情景课) "Faith and Loyalty" and the situational drama (情景剧) "Hello, Jiao Yulu"…

Pernicious influences mutate and ferment, are transmitted across generations with deeper concealment and greater toxicity, and their effects are present all around—even on oneself. In the course of organizing and implementing the training, solid work was done to inspire self-awareness, promote inner reflection, and encourage critical reflection and discarding of the bad. The approach taken was: first study Chairman Xi's important expositions to clarify what must be followed; then connect problems at one's own level and in one's own domain to set the target; then turn the knife inward to conduct a genuine and deep examination. Trainees were guided to expose their own shortcomings and faults with the spirit of thorough self-revolution, and to examine and identify manifestations of contamination by and mutation of pernicious influences.

"One wishes the new pine would grow a thousand feet tall; the evil bamboo must be cut down ten thousand stalks." The struggle against corruption bears on the Party's absolute leadership over the military, on the nature and purpose of the People's Army, and on the long-term stability of the Party and the state—it is a major struggle that cannot be lost and must absolutely not be lost. One trainee wrote the following in his notebook: Communists work for the great public good, uphold great righteousness, and seek the greater self; high position must not be used to abuse power, and heavy authority must not be used to seek private gain.

Using Cases as a Mirror to Deeply Study the Mechanisms of Anti-Corruption——

Major cases and problems are both bloody lessons and vivid teaching materials.

The training course made comprehensive use of case-based teaching, analysis of real cases, and other methods, emphasizing the extraction from typical cases of the cultural dross underlying corruption, the exploration of the patterns and inducing factors behind degeneration and transformation, the analysis of the psychological characteristics of crossing boundaries and breaching defenses, the clarification of the pathways and key points for thoroughly treating corruption, and the in-depth analysis of the lessons to be drawn regarding the ideological, personnel, organizational, work-style, disciplinary, and institutional causes behind the problems.

When conducting diagnosis of difficult problems, trainees were organized into groups by domain—military affairs, political work, logistics, equipment and technology, and national defense mobilization—to read the confession materials of personnel who had violated discipline and law, to use them as a mirror for reflection on the weak points and areas prone to corruption risk, and for each small group to sort out and compile a risk list of areas prone to breeding corruption, and to pool their wisdom to develop targeted countermeasures for preventing and curbing corruption.

Strictly Enforcing Discipline and Strengthening Warning Education——

Chairman Xi emphasized at the opening ceremony the need to understand laws and discipline, be clear about rules and regulations, and maintain a sense of awe; to ensure that everyone is equal before laws and regulations, that there are no special cases in complying with laws and regulations, and that there are no exceptions in implementing laws and regulations.

Striking the drum hard, deafening the ears. Senior military cadres must strengthen their thinking about laws and discipline, establish a sense of rules and regulations, and maintain a sense of awe, consciously drawing red lines in their thinking and holding the bottom line in their behavior.

Watching warning education films; organizing study and instruction on the "Regulations on Disciplinary Sanctions of the Chinese Communist Party"; conducting thematic study of the Central Military Commission's "Several Measures on Strengthening the Education, Management, and Supervision of Senior Military Cadres"…

Through warning and deterrence and interpretation of regulations, and in combination with specific cases, the training course provided in-depth explanations of the new requirements of Party discipline, national law, and military regulations, enabling every trainee to know shame and know when to stop, to keep their minds alert and their actions disciplined, to understand clearly which "red lines" must not be crossed, which "bottom lines" must not be breached, and which "minefields" must not be entered, and to genuinely transform discipline and rules into political consciousness, ideological consciousness, and behavioral consciousness.

Taking the Lead in Restoring and Carrying Forward Fine Traditions, Returning to the Character and Work Style of a Revolutionary Soldier——

Continuing the Traditions, Tempering the Original Aspirations

Chairman Xi emphasized at the opening ceremony that senior cadres must take the lead in restoring and carrying forward the fine traditions of our Party and our military, set aside official airs (官架子), return to the character of a revolutionary soldier, and let a new and upright spirit become even more abundant in the ranks.

These expectations, profound in their implications, and these earnest and heartfelt admonitions, are a powerful call and a guiding force.

In the first week of the course, the training class carried out the activity of "Revisiting the Beginning of Soldiering, Experiencing the Responsibilities of Command," organizing trainees to revisit the oath of Party membership, to sing again "The Three Main Rules of Discipline and the Eight Points for Attention," and to retrain in basic formation movements during morning exercise time.

History is the best textbook. During the study period, the training course organized trainees to visit the Museum of the History of the Chinese Communist Party and the Xibaipo site for on-site study visits, further solidifying their ideological foundations and replenishing the calcium of the spirit.

Photograph after photograph of history, revolutionary artifact after revolutionary artifact, scene after lifelike scene silently answered the questions of the era: Why did you join the Party? Why did you enlist? Why did you become a commander?

These are original aspirations and duties, and even more so, missions and character. Many trainees expressed in discussions and exchanges that revolutionary predecessors told us through their actions that loyalty to the Party's faith, the Party's organization, and the Party's cause must be wholehearted and consistent, must be the same inside and out, and must unite knowing and doing. As the vanguard in restoring and carrying forward fine traditions, senior cadres must shoulder the historical responsibilities entrusted by the Party and the people, fight well the battles to achieve the centenary Army-building goals, and need all the more to draw rich political nourishment and powerful spiritual strength from fine traditions, pressing forward to tackle the toughest challenges and advance courageously with a completely new bearing.

On June 12, the training course organized trainees to watch a report meeting on the advanced deeds of strong-military exemplars. Six strong-military exemplars—Wei Changjin, Qi Fabao, Dai Mingmeng, Hao Jingwen, He Xianda, and He Yuanzhi—took the stage in succession and, with sincere emotion, vivid examples, and plain words, recounted their own moving stories of striving to strengthen the military.

Models gather strength; missions urge one to forge ahead. Trainees unanimously expressed that senior military cadres should, like these strong-military exemplars, dedicate themselves to the Party and the country, serve the Party and the country, become a fluttering banner and a bright mirror, do their work in a down-to-earth manner, conduct themselves with integrity, set the standard and serve as a model through an upright bearing, and influence and motivate the troops to press forward on the path of strengthening the military and fight well the battles of the toughest challenges.

On June 16, 16 trainee representatives reported their study experiences at the graduation ceremony. Their reflections and gains were dense and meticulous notes, heartfelt speeches, penetrating insights, and, even more, a determination to work hard and get things done. They spoke of their gains and experiences, examined their problems and shortcomings, and discussed their next steps; they genuinely placed themselves in the picture and placed their work in the picture, said many things in their own words and in down-to-earth language, reflected the evident results of studying and comprehending the thought, and also embodied the plain study style and speaking style cultivated during the training period.

Beside the main road leading to the teaching building, a group sculpture depicting the Red Army's Long March stands out prominently. Upholding the Party's original aspirations and shouldering new missions, the trainees set out from here, returned to their posts, and embarked on a new journey.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March. The trainees unanimously expressed that each generation has its own Long March road, and every generation must walk its own Long March road well. They must become stronger through tempering in the fires of struggle, forge ahead with determination in shouldering their missions, perform their duties and carry out their work with a correct view of political performance, solidly advance military struggle and training and war preparedness, push forward the implementation of the "14th Five-Year Plan" (十五五规划) with high quality, and resolutely accomplish all tasks entrusted by the Party and the people.