Modernization Doctrine Political Work

Ministry of National Defense: Drive Decisive Progress Toward the Basic Realization of National Defense and Military Modernization

国防部：推动基本实现国防和军队现代化取得决定性进展

PLA Daily (解放军报) 7 August 2026

Summary

At the MND's August 7 press conference, spokesperson Senior Colonel Chen Xi outlined how the PLA will implement Xi Jinping's speech at the Politburo's 27th collective study session, which focused on national defense and military modernization. Chen's response reiterates three standing definitional pillars—mechanization-informatization-intelligentization integrated development (机械化信息化智能化融合发展), Party absolute leadership, and the nature and purpose (性质宗旨) of the people's military—without announcing new policy, organizational changes, or timelines. This is standard political work messaging; its value is as a record of how the institution publicly frames the 2027 modernization target and the primacy of political army-building (政治建军) for domestic and international audiences, not as evidence of a doctrinal or capability shift.

Translation

On the afternoon of August 7, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Chen Xi released information on recent military-related issues.

Reporter: Recently, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held its 27th collective study session on high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization, at which Chairman Xi delivered an important speech while presiding over the session. How will the military study and implement the spirit of Chairman Xi's important speech?

Chen Xi: Chairman Xi's important speech, standing at the height of the era's development and the strategic overall situation, profoundly expounded on the great significance of high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization, comprehensively summarized the great achievements in national defense and military modernization construction since the new era, and scientifically answered a series of major questions of a directional, fundamental, and overarching nature concerning the high-quality advancement of national defense and military modernization. It further inspires and motivates officers and soldiers throughout the military to, with a spirit of striving and a new outlook, drive decisive progress toward the basic realization of national defense and military modernization and accelerate the building of the people's military into a world-class military.

National defense and military modernization is a modernization that provides strategic support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation; it is a modernization characterized by the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligentization (机械化信息化智能化融合发展); and it is a modernization that permanently preserves the nature and purpose (性质宗旨) of the people's military. On the new journey, the entire military shall consistently uphold guidance by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implement Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military (习近平强军思想), uphold and strengthen the Party's absolute leadership over the military, and fully implement the strategy of political army-building for the new era (新时代政治建军方略); accelerate the effective supply of advanced combat capabilities and progressively build an intelligentized military system; strengthen the integrated development of operational capability systems and solidly advance combat training and war preparedness; strengthen military governance, mobilize military and civilian forces on all sides, and with united resolve steadily advance national defense and military modernization over the long term, so as to provide strong strategic support for comprehensively advancing the building of a great nation and the cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization (中国式现代化).

Original Chinese

8月7日下午，国防部新闻发言人陈曦大校就近期涉军问题发布消息。记者：近日，中共中央政治局就高质量推进国防和军队现代化进行第二十七次集体学习，习主席在主持学习时发表重要讲话。请问军队将如何学习贯彻习主席重要讲话精神？陈曦：习主席重要讲话站在时代发展和战略全局的高度，深刻阐述了高质量推进国防和军队现代化的重大意义，全面总结了新时代以来国防和军队现代化建设取得的伟大成就，科学回答了高质量推进国防和军队现代化一系列带方向性、根本性、全局性的重大问题，进一步感召和激励全军官兵以奋斗姿态、崭新面貌，推动基本实现国防和军队现代化取得决定性进展，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队。国防和军队现代化，是为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供战略支撑的现代化，是机械化信息化智能化融合发展的现代化，是永葆人民军队性质宗旨本色的现代化。新征程上，全军始终坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，深入贯彻习近平强军思想，坚持和加强党对军队的绝对领导，全面落实新时代政治建军方略；加快先进战斗力有效供给，逐步构建智能化军事体系；加强作战能力体系集成，扎实推进练兵备战；加强军事治理，调动军地各方力量，凝心聚力推动国防和军队现代化行稳致远，为以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业提供坚强战略支撑。