Forging Indomitable Will, Forever Maintaining the Posture of Charging Forward — The Advanced Deeds of "Model of the Era" Wang Ji Inspire Party Members, Cadres, and Troops to Press Forward with Courage and Resolve
A diligent young student who entered the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT) before the age of 14; a military researcher confined to a wheelchair; a vanguard fighter who has endured more than 700 dialysis sessions yet continues to charge at the front lines of national defense scientific research; a principal pioneer in China's field of high-assurance software (高可信软件)… In recent days, the advanced deeds of Wang Ji — "Model of the Era" (时代楷模) and researcher at NUDT's College of Computer Science — have been widely reported, generating an enthusiastic response across military and civilian circles. People have expressed that they will take Wang Ji as a model, remain loyal to the country, strive ceaselessly for self-improvement, press forward with courage and resolve from their posts, and concentrate their efforts on advancing the cause of building a strong nation and a strong military.
"The key to understanding 'why Professor Wang Ji can do it' lies in never forgetting his original aspiration and being politically strong (不忘初心政治强), keeping the nation in his heart and excelling in his professional work (心系家国业务精), fearing no hardship and maintaining strict self-discipline (不畏磨难自律严), and being willing to dedicate himself with deep commitment (甘于奉献情怀深)." Said Li Jun, a professor at the Political Academy of the National Defense University, Wang Ji has set an example for military academy instructors. "Standing at the three-foot lectern, we must sharpen our professional capabilities, put our hearts into the work of forging the soul and nurturing talent (铸魂育人), disregard personal gain or loss, face difficulties head-on, and give our all to cultivating qualified personnel for the cause of strengthening the military."
National defense scientific research demands zero margin for error, and front-line military training likewise tolerates not the slightest negligence. On the snow-covered plateau at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, officers and soldiers of a brigade under the Army's 76th Group Army used breaks between training sessions to study Wang Ji's advanced deeds. Yang Weigang, the political instructor of the brigade's "All-Around Construction Model Company" (全面建设标兵连), said: "Wang Ji's words — 'As long as my mind still works and my hands can still move, I will absolutely never stop' — inspire us officers and soldiers training at high altitude. Everyone has expressed their determination to learn Wang Ji's never-give-up fighting spirit, to tackle the difficult problems of high-altitude combat operations to the highest standard, and to forge strong combat capabilities."
At an airfield in North China, amid sweltering heat, a brigade of the Central Theater Command Air Force conducted high-intensity day-and-night flight training in an orderly manner. After training concluded, the unit immediately organized officers and soldiers to study Wang Ji's story of struggle. Xia Chunyang, company commander of a company in the brigade, said that Wang Ji, still charging forward despite the torment of illness, has set a glorious example for officers and soldiers throughout the armed forces. We will draw on the strength of this model, fear neither the test of scorching heat nor the challenge of missions, and continuously forge our capacity to execute missions around the clock and in complex environments.
Conduct scientific research oriented toward the battlefield; aim at winning and break through difficult barriers. Gao Weipeng, a researcher at a center under the Naval Research Institute, was deeply moved: "In today's era, scientific and technological innovation has become the main battlefield of strategic competition among major powers, and the road to strengthening the military through science and technology has never been smooth. Wang Ji was willing to sit on the 'cold bench' (坐'冷板凳'), spending more than 30 years rooted at the front lines of high-assurance software research and development, solidifying the national defense software security line, and setting an example for military scientific researchers. We must advance systematic scientific research and tackle key problems based on the needs of strengthening the military and preparing for war, and serve the goal of a strong military and victory in war with hard-core research achievements that are independently controllable."
Yi Zibo, an assistant researcher at the Military Science Information Research Center of the Academy of Military Sciences, stated that scientific research in the information domain often requires "gnawing on hard bones" and "charging through dangerous shoals," and demands above all the strength of will to surpass physical limits and confront challenge after challenge. They will study and carry forward the ever-shining Galaxy Spirit (银河精神), and, like Wang Ji, polish every line of code, optimize every algorithm, and organize every simulation exercise with an attitude of extreme rigor and responsibility, striving to ensure that research results can withstand the test of actual combat, and continuously forging a "digital-intelligence sharp blade" (数智利刃) to defeat the enemy.
Illness erodes his body, yet it cannot crush the unbowed spine of a scientific research soldier. This spirit of ceaseless self-improvement and striving toward the light has moved strivers in every walk of life. The team of Academician Liu Zhihong at the National Clinical Research Center for Kidney Diseases at the Eastern Theater Command General Hospital once spared no effort in treating Wang Ji. Ge Yongchun, deputy chief physician at the center, said: "Under the torment of illness, the spiritual strength of his self-reliance and self-improvement is deeply moving. He inspires us to pursue excellence in every diagnosis and treatment and for every patient." Upon learning that Wang Ji would need continuous blood purification therapy during a recent visit to Nanjing for a conference, the academician's team immediately convened to discuss a treatment plan and tailored multiple dynamically adjustable contingency plans specifically for him.
Central South University organized faculty and students to study Wang Ji's advanced deeds through multiple formats including live broadcasts and documentaries. Huang Kai, deputy director of the university Party committee's student affairs department, said: "Wang Ji is confined to a small wheelchair, yet his heart is always filled with a grand vision of serving the nation, bringing profound inspiration to the work of cultivating virtue and nurturing talent (立德树人) in universities. We will continuously innovate the methods of ideological guidance, lead young students to proactively integrate their personal development into the great cause of building a strong nation and national rejuvenation, and strive to grow into builders of the new era who dare to take on heavy responsibilities and forge ahead with courage and resolve."
At the Air Force Aviation University, newly admitted flight cadets of the class of 2026 listened to Wang Ji's moving story. Flight cadet Shi Haoran said: "We must learn Professor Wang Ji's spirit of 'never breaking the halberd' (永不折戟), keep firmly in mind our original aspiration and mission of flying valiantly for the Party, train hard on the ground and fly with precision in the air, and grow as soon as possible into eagles guarding the blue skies of the motherland."
With the Xiang River as backdrop and lights as tribute, on August 3rd a spectacular themed light show along "One River, Two Banks" (一江两岸) in Changsha was staged in honor of "Model of the Era" and NUDT researcher Wang Ji. The words "Learn from Comrade Wang Ji, Model of the Era" and "A Scientific Research Vanguard Fighter Who Never Stops Charging" blazed across the night sky. Wang Ji's "charge from a wheelchair" (轮椅上的冲锋) is inspiring ever more people — on the new journey of building a strong nation and a strong military, to move forward with gratitude and drive, to strive ceaselessly for self-improvement, and to unite in struggle for the timely realization of the centenary goal of army building (建军一百年奋斗目标), for accelerating the building of the people's armed forces into a world-class military, and for comprehensively advancing the great cause of building a strong nation and national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化).
(Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, August 5th)