Nuclear Political Work

Strong Military Forum | The Secret to Victory: From "Difficult" to "Capable"

强军论坛丨从“难”到“能”的制胜密码

PLA Daily (解放军报) 17 August 2026

Summary

Cui Daohu, a First Sergeant (一级军士长) in a Rocket Force brigade and delegate to the National People's Congress, appears in the first episode of the new PLA ideological-multimedia series 《制胜》 ("Victory"), describing the hardship of constructing missile launch positions and affirming they can be completed on time, hardened against strikes, and ready for counter-strike. The article is standard political-work content built around a named servicemember's public testimony; its value is as a record of how PLA media frames Rocket Force infrastructure construction as a test of ideological resolve for a broad military audience, not as evidence of a new capability or posture shift. What it does document is the deliberate use of launch-position readiness — specifically the three public questions Cui fields at the Two Sessions — as a vehicle for institutional confidence-building messaging.

Translation

The Secret to Victory: From "Difficult" to "Capable"

■ Hu Jianxin

Recently, the ideological-interpretation multimedia series "Victory" (《制胜》) has been airing to wide viewership. In the first episode, "Where the Battle Flag Points" (《战旗所向》), Cui Daohu — a First Sergeant (一级军士长) of a Rocket Force brigade and recipient of the "Most Beautiful Revolutionary Servicemember of the New Era" honor — appears on screen. This man who "builds houses" for missiles has endured great hardship alongside his comrades constructing one launch position after another, all so that each missile can be stationed one day sooner and achieve combat capability one day sooner. Facing the camera, Cui Daohu said: "Over the past few years, when I went to Beijing to attend the 'Two Sessions,' the question people asked me most was: Can the positions being built be completed on time? Can they withstand strikes? Can they support a counter-strike? Is it difficult? Difficult. But can it be done? It can!"

In undertaking any endeavor, one will encounter "difficulty" at every turn. Yet looking across every achievement in our country's economic and social development and in national defense and military building, which one was not the result of going from "difficult" to "capable"? Acknowledging "difficulty" is a matter of respecting objective laws; believing in "capability" is a matter of activating subjective initiative (主观能动性). Practice has fully proven that as long as one possesses the resolve for self-reliance (自力更生) and the backbone of unceasing self-improvement (自强不息), there is no hardship or obstacle that cannot be overcome, and no great undertaking that cannot be accomplished. The courage and confidence of the nation and the military are often contained within precisely this leap from "difficult" to "capable."

From "difficult" to "capable," the foundation lies in conviction — harboring the certainty of victory means fearing no difficulty. Looking back along the journey, countless miracles have followed this very pattern. In the barren desert and Gobi, generation after generation of aerospace workers confronted the formidable obstacles of technological gaps and harsh environments, forging ahead through hardship to lift the Shenzhou spacecraft into the heavens. Deep in the mountains, builders broke through geological challenges to construct the world's largest radio telescope. It was precisely by holding fast to the conviction that "it can absolutely be done" that they were able to see clearly in moments of confusion, stand firm under crushing pressure, and possess the confidence to face every hardship and obstacle. Conversely, if one surrenders mentally first when confronted with daunting challenges and is stopped in one's tracks by immediate difficulties, "impossible" becomes the predetermined outcome. Once confidence is lost and one shrinks back in the face of difficulty — sounding the retreat before anything has begun — even the smallest obstacle will be magnified without limit, and goals that were once within reach may be abandoned halfway.

From "difficult" to "capable," the key lies in sound planning — adapting to circumstances and seizing opportunities from crisis (化危为机). Firm conviction is not blind charging ahead; making up one's mind is not the same as reckless brute force. Only by seeing difficulties clearly, understanding the nature of the problem, proactively recognizing change, and responding to it scientifically can one transform what appears to be an unsolvable impasse into an opportunity for a breakthrough. When confronting a difficult problem, one must dare to press forward in the face of adversity, but must also learn to make calm assessments and innovate one's thinking — breaking out of fixed mindsets (固有思维定式), using strategy to eliminate obstacles, using method to dissolve resistance, and firmly grasping the initiative in breakthroughs and advances. If one clings to old paths, refuses iterative upgrading, and relies solely on passion and blind hard work, then no matter how strong the will, it will be very difficult to surmount the mountains that stand in the way.

From "difficult" to "capable," the point of application lies in hard work — sustained effort over time will ultimately level every obstacle. The most steadfast conviction and the most thorough planning, divorced from grounded action, amount in the end to nothing but empty talk. Every leap from "difficult" to "capable" has never been waited for or wished into existence — it has been achieved step by step through hard work. In his time, in order to fundamentally address the disaster of shifting sand dunes, Jiao Yulu insisted that problems are found at the front line and answers lie at the grassroots level. He personally led the way on foot to survey wind gaps and probe shifting sands, mapping the sand dune terrain across the entire county and conducting thorough investigation and research. After repeated comparison and careful assessment, he ultimately determined the scientifically sound sand-control method of turning over silt to suppress sand, locking down shifting sands and improving the soil at the source. Creating the miracle of going from "difficult" to "capable" tolerates no empty effort, no slackening, and no standing on the sidelines. Only by persisting — hammer blow after hammer blow, term of office after term of office — and translating blueprints into concrete action can one continuously achieve the leap from "difficult" to "capable" and create more miracles of struggle in the new era.

Original Chinese

从“难”到“能”的制胜密码 ■胡建新近日，思想解读类融媒体片《制胜》热播。在第一集《战旗所向》中，“最美新时代革命军人”、火箭军某旅一级军士长崔道虎出镜。这个为导弹“修房子”的人，与战友们历尽艰辛建设一座座阵地，为的是让一枚枚导弹能早一天进驻、早一天形成战斗力。面对镜头，崔道虎说：“这几年，我去北京参加‘两会’，大家问我最多的问题就是，建的阵地能不能按时完成？能不能抗打？能不能支撑再反击？难不难？难。但能不能？能！” 干事创业，处处都会遇见“难”。但纵观我国经济社会发展、国防和军队建设的每一项成就，哪一项不是从“难”到“能”的结果？承认“难”，是尊重客观规律；相信“能”，是激发主观能动性。实践充分证明，只要拥有自力更生的志气、自强不息的骨气，就没有战胜不了的艰难险阻，就没有成就不了的宏图大业。国家和军队的勇气与底气，往往就蕴藏在从“难”到“能”的跨越之中。从“难”到“能”，根基在信念，心怀必胜方不惧万难。回望征程，无数奇迹皆是如此。荒漠戈壁，一代代航天人直面技术空白、环境恶劣的重重难关，攻坚克难托举神舟飞天；群山之中，建设者突破地质难题，建成世界最大的射电望远镜。正是坚守“一定能”的信念，他们才能在迷茫之中看清方向，在重压之下站稳脚跟，拥有直面一切艰难险阻的底气。反之，倘若面对重重挑战，先在思想上认输，被眼前的困难困住脚步，“不可能”就会成为既定结局。一旦丧失信心、畏难退缩，凡事先打退堂鼓，再微小的障碍也会被无限放大，原本触手可及的目标也可能半途而废。从“难”到“能”，关键在善谋，顺势应变方能化危为机。坚定信念不是盲目硬闯，下定决心不等于蛮干硬拼。看清困难、读懂难题，主动识变、科学应变，才能把看似无解的困局转化为突围的机遇。面对难题，既要敢于迎难而上，更要学会冷静研判、创新思路，跳出固有思维定式，用策略消除障碍，用方法消解阻力，牢牢掌握攻坚突围的主动权。如果固守老旧路径、拒绝迭代升级，仅凭一腔热血埋头蛮干，即便意愿再强烈，也很难翻越横亘在前的大山。从“难”到“能”，落点在实干，久久为功终会踏平坎坷。再坚定的信念、再周全的谋划，离开脚踏实地的行动，终究只是一纸空谈。一切从“难”到“能”的跨越，从来不是等来、盼来的，而是一步一步干出来的。当年，为根治沙丘灾害，焦裕禄坚持问题在一线、答案在基层，带头徒步查风口、探流沙，探明全县沙丘地貌，扎实开展调查研究。经过反复比对、认真研判，最终确定翻淤压沙的科学治沙方案，从源头上锁住流沙、改良土壤。创造从“难”到“能”的奇迹，容不得虚功、容不得懈怠、容不得观望。只有坚持一锤接着一锤敲、一任接着一任干，把蓝图落实为具体行动，才能不断实现从“难”到“能”的跨越，创造更多新时代的奋斗奇迹。