Political Work

Hold Firm and Secure the Defense Line Against Corruption and Degeneration

守住守牢拒腐防变防线

PLA Daily (解放军报) 27 July 2026

Summary

A PLA political work article published under the centenary army-building goal (建军一百年奋斗目标) lays out a three-pillar framework for anti-corruption defense—ideological consolidation through Xi Jinping Thought, institutional tightening via recently revised Party discipline and military supervisory regulations, and cultural immersion through clean-governance mass activities—directed at 'military Party member cadres, especially leading cadres.' This is standard political work content; its value is as a record of how the PLA currently frames the anti-corruption campaign to mid-level and senior officers, foregrounding institutional mechanisms (appointment talks, ledger management, grassroots conduct supervisors) that document the internal compliance architecture the force is being told to enforce.

Translation

Chairman Xi has pointed out: "To hold firm and secure the defense line against corruption and degeneration (拒腐防变防线), defenses must be erected at every level and in every place." Our military, as a people's army under the absolute leadership of the Party, should by rights hold itself to higher standards, stricter requirements, and take the lead in holding firm and securing the defense line against corruption and degeneration.

At present, fighting and winning the hard battle to achieve the centenary goal of army building (建军一百年奋斗目标) is a task that is time-pressed and heavy with responsibility. It is all the more necessary to treat holding firm and securing the defense line against corruption and degeneration as an urgent task to be grasped without letting go—continuously consolidating the ideological foundation, tightening the institutional fence, enriching the cultural soil, and tempering fine conduct and work style—so as to ensure that every line of defense becomes an impregnable fortress, providing an unshakeable political guarantee and work-style support for realizing the goal of building a strong military.

Strengthening the foundation, consolidating the ideological bedrock. The ideological line of defense is the first barrier against corruption and degeneration, and also the most important line of defense. Only by returning to the source and consolidating the foundation ideologically (正本清源、固本培元), and eliminating corrupt thoughts at the root, can a genuine psychological line of defense against corruption and degeneration be truly built in the heart. It is necessary to continuously strengthen the arming of the Party's innovative theories, to persistently use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to forge unity of mind and soul (凝心铸魂), to deeply study and implement Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military, to uphold the integration of study, thought, and application and the unity of knowledge, conviction, and action (学思用贯通、知信行统一), and to guide military Party member cadres to keep firmly in mind, through deep study and careful comprehension, the sacred duty of "carrying the gun for the people and fighting for the people," and to establish from the depths of the soul the value coordinates of selflessness and clean and honest conduct (大公无私、清正廉洁). One must be adept at drawing spiritual strength from red resources. Red resources contain a spiritual code that never fades. It is necessary to deeply excavate the moving deeds of revolutionary forebears such as "not taking so much as a needle or thread from the masses" and "bringing one's own rations to work," to comprehend the founding mission by looking back on the glorious journey, and to build a firm spiritual high ground of clean and self-disciplined conduct by carrying forward the red bloodline. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen routine warning education (常态化警示教育), and through using cases to illuminate virtue, discipline, law, and responsibility (以案说德、以案说纪、以案说法、以案说责), to guide the broad ranks of military Party member cadres to internalize Party discipline and military regulations in their hearts and externalize them in their actions, continuously enriching the ideological foundation against corruption and degeneration.

Weaving the cage and the net, building a solid embankment of clean governance. Institutional problems are fundamental, systemic, stable, and long-term in nature. Chairman Xi has profoundly pointed out that putting power in the cage of institutions requires both continuously improving institutional regulations so that institutions are tight but not cumbersome and are effective and useful, and making determined efforts to improve the capacity to implement institutions and strengthen rigid constraints. In recent years, the revised and implemented Regulations on Disciplinary Sanctions of the Communist Party of China, the promulgated and enforced Regulations on Military Supervisory Work, and the accompanying issuance of institutional norms such as the Measures on Strengthening the Construction of a Culture of Clean Governance in the Military in the New Era have consolidated the institutional foundation for building a firm defense line against corruption and degeneration. Under the new situation, holding firm on the defense line depends critically on addressing root causes through institutions and empowering through mechanisms. Weave tight the "protective net" constraining power: focus closely on key areas and critical posts such as combat readiness engineering and construction, material procurement, and the selection and appointment of personnel; precisely formulate clean-governance risk prevention and control lists; clearly demarcate moral bottom lines and disciplinary red lines; and embed the entire process of power operation within institutional tracks, eliminating from the source the soil in which corruption breeds. Tighten the "pressure valve" of responsibility implementation: Party committees at all levels must incorporate the construction of the defense line into the list of principal responsibilities for comprehensively and strictly governing the Party, deploy thematically in conjunction with the annual Party conduct and clean governance situation, and through clarifying responsible parties, refining the division of tasks, and implementing ledger management (台账管理), build a responsibility transmission system that is horizontally linked and vertically penetrating, ensuring that everything has someone responsible for it and that results are seen at every level. Keep the "searchlight" of supervision and accountability shining high: make comprehensive use of mechanisms such as appointment talks, reminder talks, and admonishment talks (任职谈话、提醒谈话、诫勉谈话); integrate the supervisory forces of discipline inspection, audit, and inspection; give full play to the "sentinel" role of grassroots conduct supervisors (基层风气监督员); and open up smooth channels for officers and soldiers to exercise supervision. Address nascent problems early and when they are small; impose severe punishment without leniency on conduct that crosses red lines; and use rigid enforcement of discipline to consolidate the "bronze wall and iron rampart" against corruption and degeneration.

Nourishing hearts and transforming people, cultivating a clean and upright atmosphere. Culture is like a spring breeze and gentle rain; the manifestation of its power lies in sustained immersion and imperceptible influence. To hold firm and secure the defense line against corruption and degeneration, one must give full play to the immersive role of a culture of clean governance like a spring breeze and gentle rain, working persistently over the long term and doing well what must be done. It is necessary to broadly carry out mass activities centered on a culture of clean governance, and through organizing the reading of books on clean governance, viewing films and television on clean governance, and creating calligraphy and paintings on clean governance, to imperceptibly cultivate sentiment, nourish the spirit, and strengthen identification. One exemplary model is one banner. Through commending clean governance exemplars and advanced units in conduct construction, it is necessary to broadly publicize the advanced deeds of model figures in maintaining clean and self-disciplined conduct and faithfully discharging their duties, and to create a thick cultural atmosphere of venerating clean and honest conduct (崇廉尚洁). Family matters are connected to national matters; family conduct is connected to Party conduct. Military Party member cadres, especially leading cadres, must consciously place the building of family conduct in a prominent position, take the lead in inheriting and carrying forward China's excellent traditional culture and the red family conduct of revolutionary forebears, always maintain noble moral character and healthy interests in life, and cultivate the conscious thought and behavior of maintaining personal integrity and keeping one's household clean (廉洁修身、廉洁齐家); strictly discipline and educate relatives and children; take the lead by personal example in practicing a hardworking and plain-living work style; and continuously create a new and upright atmosphere through solid clean-governance qualities and clean and upright family conduct and education.

Original Chinese

习主席指出，“守住守牢拒腐防变防线，要层层设防、处处设防”。我军作为党绝对领导下的人民军队，在守住守牢拒腐防变防线上理应标准更高、要求更严、走在前列。当前，打好实现建军一百年奋斗目标攻坚战，时间紧、任务重，尤须将守住守牢拒腐防变防线作为紧要任务紧抓不放，不断夯实思想根基、扎紧制度篱笆、厚植文化沃土、砥砺优良作风，确保每道防线都成为攻不破的堡垒，为实现强军目标提供坚不可摧的政治保证和作风支撑。强基固本，夯实思想根基。思想防线是拒腐防变的第一道屏障，也是最重要的防线。只有在思想上正本清源、固本培元，从源头上杜绝贪腐念头，才能在心底真正筑起拒腐防变的心理防线。要持续强化党的创新理论武装，坚持不懈用习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想凝心铸魂，深入学习贯彻习近平强军思想，坚持学思用贯通、知信行统一，引导军队党员干部在深学细悟中牢记“为人民扛枪、为人民打仗”的神圣职责，从灵魂深处树牢大公无私、清正廉洁的价值坐标。善于从红色资源中汲取精神力量。红色资源中蕴含着永不褪色的精神密码，要深入挖掘革命先辈“不拿群众一针一线”“自带干粮去办公”等感人事迹，在回望光辉历程中感悟初心使命，在赓续红色血脉中筑牢清廉自守的精神高地。与此同时，要加强常态化警示教育，通过以案说德、以案说纪、以案说法、以案说责，引导广大军队党员干部将党纪军规内化于心、外化于行，不断厚植拒腐防变的思想根基。扎笼织网，筑牢廉洁堤坝。制度问题带有根本性、全局性、稳定性、长期性。习主席深刻指出，把权力关进制度笼子，既要不断完善制度规定，使制度密而不繁、有效管用，又要着力提高制度执行力，增强刚性约束。近年来，《中国共产党纪律处分条例》修订实施，《军队监察工作条例》颁布施行，配套出台《关于加强新时代军队廉洁文化建设的措施》等制度规范，为筑牢拒腐防变防线夯实了制度根基。新形势下守牢防线，关键在制度治本、机制赋能。织密权力约束“防护网”，紧盯战备工程建设、物资采购、选人用人等重点领域和关键岗位，精准制定廉洁风险防控清单，清晰划定道德底线和纪律红线，将权力运行全流程嵌入制度轨道，从源头上铲除腐败滋生土壤。拧紧责任落实“压力阀”，各级党委须将防线构筑纳入全面从严治党主体责任清单，结合年度党风廉政形势专题部署，通过明确责任主体、细化任务分工、实行台账管理，构建横向联动、纵向贯通的责任传导体系，确保事事有人管、层层见实效。高悬监督问责“探照灯”，综合运用任职谈话、提醒谈话、诫勉谈话等机制，整合纪检、审计、巡视监督力量，发挥基层风气监督员“前哨”作用，畅通官兵监督渠道。对苗头性问题抓早抓小，对触碰红线行为严惩不贷，以刚性执纪巩固拒腐防变“铜墙铁壁”。润心化人，涵养清风正气。文化如春风化雨，其力量的彰显贵在持久浸润、潜移默化。守住守牢拒腐防变防线，就要发挥廉洁文化春风化雨的浸润作用，久久为功，善作善成。要广泛开展群众性廉洁文化活动，通过组织阅读廉洁书籍、观看廉洁影视、创作廉洁书画等形式，在潜移默化中陶冶情操、滋养心灵、强化认同。一个典型就是一面旗帜。要通过表彰廉洁标兵、风气建设先进单位等形式，广泛宣传先进模范廉洁自律、履职尽责的先进事迹，浓厚崇廉尚洁的文化氛围。家事连着国事，家风连着党风。军队党员干部尤其是领导干部要自觉将家风建设摆在突出位置，带头继承和弘扬中华优秀传统文化和革命先辈的红色家风，始终保持高尚道德情操和健康生活情趣，养成廉洁修身、廉洁齐家的思想行为自觉；从严管教亲属子女，以身作则带头践行艰苦朴素生活作风，以过硬的廉洁素养、清正的家风家教持续营造新风正气。