Doctrine Political Work

Strong Military Forum | Uphold and Apply the Most Fundamental Things Well

强军论坛丨把最基本的坚守好运用好

PLA Daily (解放军报) 30 July 2026

Summary

A 'Strong Military Forum' (强军论坛) column in PLA official media, authored by Sun Yang, argues that the PLA must anchor military modernization in Xi Jinping's 'basic theory, basic line, and basic policies,' framing the 19th Party Congress elevation of absolute Party leadership over the armed forces to the status of a basic policy as the institutional foundation for all military reform, anti-corruption work, and combat-effectiveness gains. This is standard political education content; its value is as a record of how the PLA frames ideological compliance and Party loyalty to its officer corps in the period following Xi's 105th CPC founding anniversary address, not as evidence of a new policy line or changed military posture.

Translation

Uphold and Apply the Most Fundamental Things Well

■ Sun Yang

At the rally celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Chairman Xi set forth the explicit requirement of "five musts" for all members of the Communist Party of China to strengthen their confidence and carry on the struggle on the new journey. Ranked first among these is: "We must uphold the Party's basic theory, basic line, and basic policies." This important statement enlightens us that only by upholding and applying the most fundamental things well will the Party's cause have direction, the whole Party have something to rely upon, and the people have something to follow — and only then can we form a powerful force that strives together toward the realization of our goals.

"Basic" (基本) means foundational and fundamental. The Party's basic theory is the fundamental guide for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics; the Party's basic line is the lifeline of the Party and the state and the line of happiness for the people; and the basic policies of the "Fourteen Adherences" constitute the "roadmap" and "methodology" for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Embedded within them are a series of the most fundamental systems, measures, methods, and concepts — such as "concentrating strength to accomplish major tasks," "development is the absolute principle (发展是硬道理)," "grasping with both hands, both hands must be strong (坚持两手抓、两手硬)," and "everything for the people, everything relying on the people" — which are universally recognized and universally followed by the Party and the people. They are both the precious experience distilled from a century of struggle and a powerful treasure for meeting risks and challenges and opening up the future.

Viewed through the long lens of history, the most fundamental things are often the most practical and the most effective. Looking back on the extraordinary and remarkable journey we have traveled in the new era, the complexity of the situation faced by the Party and the state, the severity of the struggles, and the arduousness of the tasks of reform, development, and stability are rare in the world and rare in history. Whenever we have been confused and perplexed, hesitant and wavering, or subjected to suppression and interference, we have always been able to find genuine answers to our problems, find the strength to overcome difficulties, and find the confidence to seize victory from those most fundamental things. Practice has repeatedly proven that by upholding and applying the Party's basic theory, basic line, and basic policies well, we will not waver left and right due to the ever-changing and complex situation; we will not become arrogant and complacent because of some achievements and the sound of applause; and we will not stagnate because of temporary setbacks or mounting difficulties.

The modernization of national defense and the armed forces is an important component of Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化), and the grand picture of strengthening the military in the new era everywhere confirms the powerful practical force of the Party's basic theory, basic line, and basic policies. We have used the Party's innovative theory of the new era to calibrate the direction of military development, employed the Party's basic theory to return to the source and consolidate the foundation (正本清源、固本培元), and the entire military has reorganized and set out anew — continuously deepening political rectification, resolutely correcting the chronic ailments of peacetime, vigorously rectifying conduct, enforcing discipline, and fighting corruption — bringing about major and profound changes in the troops' morale, spirit, and political ecosystem. We have persisted in treating the deepening of national defense and military reform as the decisive move that will determine the future of our military, driving qualitative transformation, efficiency transformation, and motivational transformation in military development, and setting out on an innovation-driven path of accelerated development, achieving a major leap in the combat effectiveness of the troops. The 19th National Congress of the Party elevated "upholding the absolute leadership of the Party over the people's armed forces" to the status of a basic policy for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. The broad ranks of officers and soldiers firmly listen to the Party and follow the Party, faithfully perform their duties and responsibilities, concentrate their efforts to overcome difficulties, and have outstandingly completed major missions including border defense struggles, maritime rights protection, counterterrorism and stability maintenance, and disaster relief operations — they are fully capable and trustworthy. It is precisely these most fundamental things that have sustained the people's armed forces' most effective advantage in winning.

The most fundamental things are the most precious, and we must cherish them all the more. To uphold and apply the most fundamental things well, the first priority is to resolve the question of "belief" (信). "If the roots do not waver, the branches and leaves will flourish." Officers and soldiers at large, and especially Party member cadres, should adopt a correct study ethos, persist in thoroughly studying and genuinely implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as the foremost political task, with emphasis on studying Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military — reading the original works, studying the original texts, and comprehending the original principles — so as to study one's way to firm belief and a sense of mission and responsibility. The second priority is to put things into "application" (用). The Party's basic theory, basic line, and basic policies are primarily meant to guide practice. For the entire military, this means striving to strengthen the military under the Party's banner, centering on realizing the Party's goal of building a strong military in the new era, following the new "three-step" strategy for national defense and military modernization, and comprehensively advancing the efforts to build the military through political work, strengthen it through reform, strengthen it through science and technology, strengthen it through talent, and govern it according to law — resolutely and unwaveringly following the path of strengthening the military with Chinese characteristics.

"Unafraid of floating clouds obscuring the view, sailing through wind and waves without losing one's course." By adhering to the most fundamental things without distraction, applying the most fundamental things without wavering, and consolidating the most fundamental things without change, we will surely stride forward with firm and resounding steps toward a strong nation and a strong military on the new journey of the new era.

Original Chinese

把最基本的坚守好运用好 ■孙阳在庆祝中国共产党成立105周年大会上，习主席对新征程上全体中国共产党人坚定信心、接续奋斗提出了“五个必须”的明确要求，排在首位的是“必须坚持党的基本理论、基本路线、基本方略”。这一重要论述启示我们，只有把最基本的坚守好、运用好，党的事业才有所指，全党才有所依，人民才有所趋，才能形成为实现目标共同奋斗的强大力量。基本，基础、根本之谓也。党的基本理论是坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的根本指南，党的基本路线是党和国家的生命线、人民的幸福线，“十四个坚持”的基本方略是实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的“路线图”和“方法论”。蕴含其中的“集中力量办大事”“发展是硬道理”“坚持两手抓、两手硬”“一切为了人民、一切依靠人民”等一系列最基本的制度、举措、办法和理念，为党和人民普遍认同和普遍遵循，既是百年奋斗沉淀的宝贵经验，也是应对风险挑战、开创未来的强大法宝。透过历史的长镜头观察，最基本的往往最实用，也最管用。回望新时代这些年来我们走过的极不寻常、极不平凡的历程，党和国家面临的形势之复杂、斗争之严峻、改革发展稳定任务之艰巨世所罕见、史所罕见。当我们疑难困惑时、犹豫徘徊时、遭遇打压干扰时，总是能够从那些最基本的东西中真正找到解决问题的答案，找到攻坚克难的力量和夺取胜利的信心。实践反复证明，坚守好、运用好党的基本理论、基本路线、基本方略，就不会因为纷繁复杂的形势变化而左右摇摆，就不会因为取得了一些成绩、收获鲜花掌声而骄傲自满，也不会因为遇到了一时挫折、碰到了重重困难而停滞不前。国防和军队现代化是中国式现代化的重要组成部分，新时代强军的壮阔图景，处处印证了党的基本理论、基本路线、基本方略的强大实践伟力。我们以新时代党的创新理论校准军队建设航向，用党的基本理论正本清源、固本培元，全军重整行装再出发，持续深化政治整训，坚决纠治和平积弊、强力正风肃纪反腐，部队军心士气、精神面貌、政治生态发生重大而深刻变化。我们坚持把深化国防和军队改革作为决定我军未来的关键一招，推动我军建设发展质量变革、效能变革、动力变革，走上换挡提速的创新驱动发展之路，部队战斗力实现了一个大的跃升。党的十九大把“坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导”上升为新时代坚持和发展中国特色社会主义的一条基本方略，广大官兵坚定听党话、跟党走，忠诚履职尽责，聚力攻坚克难，出色完成边防斗争、海上维权、反恐维稳、抢险救灾等重大任务，是完全过得硬、信得过的。正是这些最基本的，撑起了人民军队最管用的制胜优势。最基本的东西最宝贵，需要我们倍加珍惜。把最基本的坚守好、运用好，首先要解决“信”的问题。“本根不摇，则枝叶茂荣。”广大官兵特别是党员干部应端正学风，坚持把学懂弄通做实习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想作为首要政治任务，突出学好习近平强军思想，读原著、学原文、悟原理，学出坚定信仰、学出使命担当。其次要落到“用”上。党的基本理论、基本路线、基本方略，重在指导实践。对全军来说，就是要在党的旗帜下奋斗强军，围绕实现党在新时代的强军目标，按照国防和军队现代化新“三步走”战略，全面推进政治建军、改革强军、科技强军、人才强军、依法治军，坚定不移走中国特色强军之路。 “不畏浮云遮望眼、乘风破浪不迷航”。做到坚持最基本的不分心，运用最基本的不动摇，巩固最基本的不改变，我们必能在新时代新征程上，迈出强国强军的铿锵步伐。