The “Three-Step” Strategic Vision on the Modernization of the National Defense and the Army

In December 1997, Jiang Zemin proposed the “three-step” strategic concept at the enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission. The first step is, immediately until 2010, to take more than ten years to work hard to achieve the requirements set forth in the military strategic guidelines of the new period, laying a solid foundation for national defense and army building; the second step is, in the second decade of the 21st century, with the growth of the country ’s economic strength and the corresponding increase in military expenditure, accelerate the pace of quality construction of our army, appropriately increase the intensity of developing high-tech weapons and equipment, improve the weapon and equipment system, comprehensively improve the quality of the troops, and further optimize the institutional establishment, so that the national defense and military modernization achieve a greater development; the third step is, after thirty years of hard work, by the middle of the 21st century, to realize the modernization of national defense and the army.

The “three-step” strategic concept is a development strategy for the modernization of national defense and the army formulated and implemented by the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission after the 15th CPC National Congress according to national security needs and the level of economic and social development. In 1997, the 15th CPC National Congress deployed a strategy to basically realize modernization in three phases in the first half of the 21st century. The modernization of national defense and the army must be basically in line with the development process of national modernization. At the enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission held shortly after the 15th CPC National Congress, the “three-step” strategic concept of the national defense and army modernization in the 21st century was also put forward. The key to achieving the strategic goal of national defense and army modernization in three steps is the first step. It is necessary to maintain a certain development speed in the dozens of years across the century, narrow the gap with the world's military powers, and accumulate strength to prepare for future development. Along with the process of national Reform and Opening-up and increasing comprehensive national strength, the Chinese army has been comprehensively strengthened in its revolutionization, modernization, and regularization, preparations for military struggles have been continuously expanded and deepened, and defense combat capabilities have been further enhanced under the conditions of informatization. China's national defense and army building has successfully achieved the first step of the “three-step” strategy, with a good foundation for mechanization, significant progress made in informatization, significantly enhanced deterrence and actual combat capabilities, staged achievements made in comprehensive construction of modern logistics, and a large number of high-quality new-type military talents trained, initially embarking on a path of integrated military -civilian development with Chinese characteristics.

In 2012, the 18th CPC National Congress for the first time wrote the “three-step” strategic concept of national defense and military modernization into the Report of National Congress. The 19th CPC National Congress made a new deployment of the “three-step” strategy, namely: by 2020, to ensure basically achieving mechanization, making significant progress in informatization, and greatly improving strategic capabilities. Consistent with the process of national modernization, comprehensively promote the modernization of military theory, military organization, military personnel, and weapons and equipment, strive to basically realize the modernization of national defense and the army by 2035, and build the people's army into a world-class army by the middle of this century.