Make the Grassroots the Fertile Ground for Carrying Forward Fine Traditions

Make the Grassroots the Fertile Ground for Carrying Forward Fine Traditions

■ Sun Wenguang, Zhang Di

Editor's Note

The foundational things must be held fast, and the advantages rooted in tradition must not be lost. The fine traditions of our Party and our military embody a clear political stance, firm ideals and convictions, advanced ways of achieving victory, a lofty revolutionary spirit, and excellent conduct and discipline. They are the concentrated expression of the nature, purpose, and character of the People's Army, and are also a unique political advantage of our military and an important magic weapon (法宝) for defeating the enemy.

Chairman Xi has emphasized: "Whether we can preserve the glorious traditions and fine conduct of our Party and our military bears on the life and death of the armed forces, bears on the rise and fall of the Party's and the nation's cause, and bears on whether the socialist red country will change its color." At present, the cause of building a strong military stands at a critical juncture. As the principal force for carrying forward fine traditions, grassroots officers and soldiers must draw rich political nourishment and powerful spiritual strength from those fine traditions, pass on the red genes well, preserve the character of the old Red Army, and press forward with a fresh bearing—tackling hard problems with courage and advancing with firm resolve.

When attending the plenary session of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress, Chairman Xi emphasized: "Make the grassroots the fertile ground for carrying forward fine traditions; actively explore the laws governing grassroots development and beneficial practices under new circumstances; attach importance to doing work that addresses fundamentals, benefits the long term, and builds lasting strength; and lay a more solid foundation for troop development and combat effectiveness." This important statement profoundly clarifies the intrinsic connection between carrying forward fine traditions and grassroots development under new circumstances, and reveals the special status and role of the grassroots in carrying forward fine traditions. We must deeply comprehend Chairman Xi's important statement, drive the fine traditions to be passed down from generation to generation at the grassroots like a torch that never goes out, and lay a solid foundation for achieving the centenary goal of Army founding on schedule and for advancing the modernization of national defense and the military at high quality.

I

In the great practice of leading the People's Army through revolution, construction, and reform, our Party has accumulated many invaluable experiences and formed a complete set of fine traditions. These fine traditions originated from the creation of officers and soldiers, are rooted in grassroots practice, and are the secret code of victory by which the People's Army has gone from weakness to strength and from victory to victory.

The grassroots is the birthplace and source of fine traditions. The front-line grassroots is the ever-living source and root of our military's spiritual bloodline, and also the rich fertile ground from which fine traditions first emerged. The fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute leadership over the military originated at the Nanchang Uprising, was laid as a foundation at the Sanwan Reorganization, and took definitive form at the Gutian Conference. The strict discipline of the "Three Main Rules of Discipline and Eight Points for Attention" (三大纪律、八项注意) arose from the practice of disciplinary rectification as the troops of the Autumn Harvest Uprising along the Hunan-Jiangxi border marched toward Jinggang Mountain. The fighting spirit of "fearing neither hardship nor death" (一不怕苦、二不怕死) was embodied in every charge and every bloody battle fought by front-line officers and soldiers. History and practice have proven that fine traditions such as hard struggle, sacrifice and dedication, unity and mutual care, and solidarity between officers and soldiers were all gradually accumulated and formed through practice at the front-line grassroots.

The grassroots is the main arena for inheriting fine traditions. The grassroots is the foundation of all the work and combat effectiveness of the troops, and generation after generation of grassroots officers and soldiers are the most steadfast practitioners and most faithful inheritors of fine traditions. From Zhang Side, who served the people wholeheartedly during the War of Resistance Against Japan, to Dong Cunrui, who sacrificed himself to blow up a concealed bunker during the War of Liberation; from Huang Jiguang, who used his chest to block a gun port during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, to Qiu Shaoyun, who remained motionless as flames engulfed his body—countless revolutionary martyrs like them forged loyalty with their blood and shouldered their mission with their lives, manifesting glorious traditions in their revolutionary work and carrying them forward on the battlefield. During the period of peaceful construction, Lei Feng steadfastly upheld his original aspiration of serving the people; Su Ning dedicated himself to national defense modernization; Li Xiangqun charged to the front lines of flood-fighting; Zhang Chao pursued his dream of a strong military across the sea and sky. Countless heroes and model figures like them took root at the grassroots and cultivated it deeply, driving our military's fine traditions to be carried forward from generation to generation without end.

II

To carry forward fine traditions is to plant the red genes into the souls of officers and soldiers, to fully bring into play the political and organizational advantages that the Party has formed in leading our military through long-term practice, and to provide solid support for comprehensively forging a grassroots force that is "hard in three respects" (三个过硬).

Let the fundamental principle and system of the Party commanding the gun take firm root at the grassroots. The Party's absolute leadership over the military is the founding foundation and the soul of a strong military for the People's Army. We must give full play to the unique advantage of building the military through political work; firmly grasp the key link of Party organizations; strengthen the political and organizational functions of grassroots Party organizations; strictly implement the various systems of organizational life; strictly conduct education, management, and supervision of Party members; strengthen the building of the corps of grassroots Party organization secretaries; give full play to the vanguard fortress role of grassroots Party organizations and the pioneering and exemplary role of the broad Party membership; and ensure that the Party's absolute leadership over the military reaches directly to the grassroots and directly to officers and soldiers.

Let lofty ideals and firm convictions take firm root at the grassroots. Lofty ideals and firm convictions are the spiritual pillar of the People's Army and the powerful spiritual force enabling grassroots officers and soldiers to tackle hard problems, resist corruption and prevent degeneration, and fulfill their duties and responsibilities. We must consistently use the great ideal of communism to guide the direction of grassroots development; use the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics to unite the consensus of grassroots officers and soldiers in their struggle; work hard to cultivate new-era revolutionary soldiers who have soul, ability, fighting spirit, and virtue (有灵魂、有本事、有血性、有品德); and guide grassroots officers and soldiers to consciously integrate their personal aspirations into the great practice of building a strong military and revitalizing the military, to hold fast to their original aspirations and strive with dedication in ordinary posts, and to always maintain the political character of revolutionary soldiers.

Let the quality of keeping pace with the times through reform and innovation take firm root at the grassroots. The grassroots contains boundless wisdom and vibrant energy, and is the living source of reform and innovation. We must uphold the principle of putting the grassroots first and soldiers first; respect the principal status and pioneering spirit of officers and soldiers; encourage grassroots units to break through and innovate based on their combat positions and in close connection with actual conditions; integrate innovative thinking into all aspects and the entire process of grassroots development; actively absorb the fresh experience of grassroots innovation and creation; promote practical and effective grassroots measures; and use vigorous innovative vitality to accelerate the advancement of national defense and military modernization.

Let the hard fighting spirit of heroism and fearlessness take firm root at the grassroots. Fighting spirit is an important factor in the combat effectiveness of the military and the key to stimulating the subjective initiative of people and bringing into play the decisive role of people in military practice. We must persist in integrating the cultivation of fighting spirit into the entire process of military training, combat readiness duty, and the execution of major tasks in grassroots units; temper and forge the troops under difficult and strict conditions; hone the fighting spirit and courage of officers and soldiers; forge the will and character of officers and soldiers to fear no strong enemy and dare to fight and be certain of victory; lead officers and soldiers to be full of fighting spirit, and lead the troops to project a powerful and vigorous presence.

Let the strict revolutionary discipline of acting on orders without fail (令行禁止) take firm root at the grassroots. The military is the most disciplined of organizations, and strict discipline is an important source of combat effectiveness. In wartime we won battles through discipline; in peacetime, strengthening troop development is equally inseparable from iron discipline. We must firmly establish a sense of discipline; persist in conducting grassroots development in strict accordance with regulations and rules; strictly implement the provisions of regulations and codes; supervise officers and soldiers to strictly observe disciplinary standards and conform to institutional norms in their words and actions; strengthen supervision and enforcement of discipline; address problems early and when they are small; guard against minor problems before they grow; and use rigid enforcement of discipline to ensure that disciplinary authority takes root at the grassroots.

Let the fundamental purpose of serving the people wholeheartedly take firm root at the grassroots. Coming from the people and serving the people, always remaining flesh-and-blood connected to the people and sharing life and death with them—this is the root of our victory and the source of our strength. We must always stand firmly on the side of the people and firmly establish the concept of putting the people first; focus on the primary responsibility and main task of training for war and preparing for war, and safeguard the people's peace through the ability to fight and win battles; in the face of disasters and emergencies, move at the sound of orders and step forward bravely, vowing to protect the lives and property of the people; and support local economic development and ecological environmental protection, and actively carry out poverty alleviation and assistance work.

III

Driving the carrying forward and inheritance of fine traditions at the grassroots is a systematic project and a long-term task. We must closely integrate the carrying forward of fine traditions with the strengthening of grassroots development, apply comprehensive measures, and work at it persistently over time, so that fine traditions truly permeate the hearts of officers and soldiers and guide their words and actions, and drive high-quality development of grassroots development.

Strengthen theoretical arming, and consolidate the ideological foundation by strengthening the roots and nurturing the vitality (固本培元). Thought is the precursor to action; theory is the guide to practice. We must continuously deepen the arming of officers and soldiers with the Party's innovative theories; organize grassroots officers and soldiers to systematically study the glorious history and fine traditions of our Party and our military; resolve the fundamental questions of for whom we carry rifles, for whom we fight, what we are in the military for, and why we train; fully excavate the red resources of the garrison area and the unit itself; make good use of vivid educational vehicles; innovate forms of study; and use methods that grassroots officers and soldiers enjoy to expound on theory and interpret tradition.

Ground efforts in practical tempering, and firmly establish the orientation of winning battles through training for war and preparing for war. Training for war and preparing for war is the primary responsibility and main task of the troops, and is also the main practical path for carrying forward fine traditions. Grassroots units are on the front line of training for war and preparing for war. We must closely integrate the carrying forward of fine traditions with the practice of training for war and preparing for war; temper the excellent qualities of heeding the Party's command, making sacrifice and dedication, and daring to fight and being certain of victory; and guide grassroots officers and soldiers to practice fine traditions in the execution of tasks and to manifest the powerful strength of fine traditions in tackling hard problems.

Uphold strict management and generous care, and cultivate a pure character in day-to-day work. Carrying forward fine traditions depends primarily on daily cultivation and is most valuable when persisted in over the long term. Strict management can rectify conduct and shape character and temper work style; generous care can unite hearts and inspire morale. The two are dialectically unified and mutually reinforcing. We must unswervingly advance the comprehensive strict governance of the Party and the comprehensive strict governance of the military; do solid work on building a healthy atmosphere at the grassroots; continuously rectify various tendencies and problems; continuously purify the grassroots political ecology; persist in caring for the grassroots and caring for officers and soldiers; get down to work to resolve the urgent, difficult, worrying, and anticipated problems of officers and soldiers; and continuously boost the spirit and bearing of officers and soldiers in doing their work and pursuing their undertakings through the resolution of difficulties and problems.

Emphasize the motivation of exemplary models, and generate intrinsic motivation through the driving force of role models. The deeds of advanced exemplary models embody the fighting spirit of officers and soldiers—they are concrete and vivid, and carry the power to move people. The qualities of advanced exemplary models reflect the value pursuits of the People's Army—they are lofty and plain, and carry the power to inspire. We must emphasize the cultivation and promotion of advanced exemplary models in urgent, difficult, dangerous, and heavy tasks such as training for war and preparing for war, disaster relief, and scientific research breakthroughs; through extensive publicity and in-depth study of their deeds of struggle, guide grassroots officers and soldiers to revere the advanced and strive to be pioneers; and genuinely transform the power of role models into the high-spirited fighting will to sharpen military skills and strengthen capabilities, and into the sense of mission and responsibility to fulfill duties and discharge responsibilities.

(Authors' affiliation: Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, National Defense University)