The New Generation of Revolutionary Servicemen with “Four Possessions” Lofty Ideals, Moral Integrity, Good Education and a Strong Sense of Discipline

It refers to a new generation of revolutionary soldiers having soul, capabilities, courage and uprightness, and morality. It is the goal of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's work on forging soul and educating people under the new situation put forward by Xi Jinping at the Political Work Conference of PLA in October 2014. Xi Jinping made it clear that it is necessary to adapt to the requirements of building a strong army, grasp the characteristics and laws of forging soul and educating people under the new situation, take upholding ideals and convictions of officers and soldiers as a strategic project of consolidating foundation and enhancing solidarity, and insist that educators receive education first, highlight the key role of senior cadres, focus on the basic problems of behaving, and developing aspiration and virtue, take effective measures to effectively achieve results, and strive to train a new generation of revolutionary soldiers having soul, capabilities, courage and uprightness, and morality. Having soul is the necessary political belief for the new generation of revolutionary soldiers. Having soul means to have firm convictions and listen to the Party’s command. This is the political requirement for revolutionary soldiers to achieve the goal of building a strong army and determines the political character of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers.

Only with firm beliefs and convictions can the revolutionary army talents have spiritual support. Arming with scientific theory is the foundation of belief, which means to arm the minds of officers and soldiers with the theoretical system of Marxism and socialism with Chinese characteristics. Having capabilities is the necessary quality for the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, which means to have excellent qualities and be able to win battles. This is the capability requirement for the revolutionary soldiers to achieve the goal of building a strong army. It defines the mission responsibility of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, requiring soldiers to have rich knowledge, comprehensive qualities, excellent combat capabilities, and the ability to effectively complete missions and tasks. Having courage and uprightness is the necessary spiritual trait of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers and the core of fighting spirit and fighting style. Having courage and uprightness means to be brave and tenacious and fear no sacrifice. This is the courageous requirement for revolutionary soldiers to achieve the goal of building a strong army. It demonstrates the fighting style of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, requiring soldiers to have strong mission responsibility, tenacious and strong will, confidence and determination to win battles, and the spirit of sacrifice and dedication. Its core is to fear no hardships and deaths, and the courage to move forward overwhelming all enemies without being subjugated by them. Having morality is the necessary moral character for the new generation of revolutionary soldiers.

Morality is the foundation for the conduct, behavior and work of people. For revolutionary soldiers, it is a comprehensive expression of the world outlook, outlook on life, values, moral outlook, political consciousness, thinking methods, knowledge level, work and lifestyle, etc. The revolutionary soldiers are required to have noble taste and good conduct, and to abide by the ethical requirements and code of conduct placed on revolutionary soldiers by the goal of building a strong army. Having soul, capabilities, courage and uprightness, and morality, these four aspects are an organic whole that is closely connected, complementary, and internally unified. It sets up the basic scale of forging soul and educating people under the new situation and clarifies the most basic and most core requirements for revolutionary soldiers. Having soul determines the political lifeline of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, having capabilities supports the mission responsibility of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, having courage and uprightness demonstrates of the professional characteristics of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers, and having morality frames the code of conduct of the new generation of revolutionary soldiers. Among them, having soul is the command, having capabilities is the core, having courage and uprightness is the key, and having morality is the foundation. Cultivating a new generation of revolutionary soldiers with “four haves” reflects the era requirements of building a strong army for forging soul and educating people, answers the era topics of what kind of soldiers to be cultivated and how to train a new generation of revolutionary soldiers in the great practices of strengthening and revitalizing the army, realizes the advancing with the times of the CPC’s goal of cultivating qualified revolutionary soldiers, reflects the expectation of the motherland and the people for the vast number of officers and soldiers, and provides fundamental guide for the cultivation of revolutionary soldiers who are capable of fulfilling the task of building a strong army. This is not only an inheritance of the Party's theory of cultivating qualified revolutionary soldiers, but also reflects the development requirements of the times, and is the latest achievement of the CPC's theory on forging and educating people.