Strengthen the Army through Reform

It refers to the strategy of reviewing, leading and promoting national defense and military reform with the goal of building a strong army. On November 24, 2015, Xi Jinping put forward the “Comprehensive Implementation of the Strategy of Reforming and Strengthening the Army” for the first time at the Work Conference of the Central Military Commission Reform. National defense and army reform is an objective requirement for army building under specific historical conditions, and is an inevitable result of the contradictions between the national defense and the army. Since China is entering a critical stage of developing from big to strong, national defense and army building are at a new historical starting point. In response to major changes in today’s world, effectively safeguarding national security, adhering to and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics, coordinating the promotion of the “four comprehensive” strategic layout, implementing the goal of building a strong army and military strategic guidelines, and fulfilling the military missions and tasks all require to deepen national defense and army reform.

In the meantime, solving some prominent contradictions and problems exposed in the army, especially corruption, and the deep-seated contradictions and problems such as the unscientific leadership management system, poor joint operation command system, unreasonable force structure, and relatively lagging of the policy system, ultimately also relies on reforms. The Third Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made overall arrangements for comprehensive deepening reforms, incorporated the national defense and military reform into the overall layout of the country’s comprehensive deepening reforms, and elevated it to the Party’s will and national behavior, officially opening the curtain for the national defense and military reform. In March 2014, the Central Military Commission convened the first meeting of the Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform, and established relevant working bodies. On the basis of full investigation and demonstration, and concentration of the wisdom of the entire army, in July 2015, the Leading Group for Deepening National Defense and Military Reform of the Central Military Commission convened the third plenary meeting to review and adopt in principle the “Proposal for the Overall Plan for Deepening National Defense and Army Reform”.

In October 2015, the Executive Meeting of the Central Military Commission reviewed and approved the “Implementation Plan for the Reform of the Leadership and Command System”. On January 1, 2016, the “Opinions of the Central Military Commission on Deepening National Defense and Army Reform” was issued, and national defense and military reform entered a substantial development stage. The “Opinions” made it clear that the guiding ideology for deepening national defense and army reform is to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 18th CPC National Congress and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Plenary Sessions of the 18th CPC Central Committee, thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's series of important speeches, especially the important discourse on national defense and army building, with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of the “Three Represents” and the scientific development concept as the guidance, implement the military strategic policy under the new situation and comprehensively implement the strategy of reforming and strengthening the army according to the requirements of the “four comprehensive” strategic layout, and with the Party's goal of building a strong army under the new situation as the guidance. The goal of reforming and strengthening the army should be closely focused on building a strong people's army, that is, building a people's army that listens to the Party's command, is able to win battles, and has a good style of work.

To this end, we must focus on solving the institutional obstacles, structural contradictions, and policy issues that restrict national defense and army building, promote the modernization of the army's organizational form, further liberate and develop combat effectiveness, further liberate and enhance the vitality of the army, build a national defense and a strong army that is commensurate with China ’s international status and compatible with national security and development interests, and provide strong strength guarantee for the realization of the “two centenary” goals and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The basic principle of reforming and strengthening the army is to adhere to the correct political direction, focus on fighting, adhere to innovation-driven development, adhere to system design, adhere to the rule of law thinking, and adhere to being active yet prudent. The main tasks of reforming and strengthening the army include: leadership management system, joint combat command system, army scale structure, troop formation, new military personnel training, policy system, military-civilian integrated development, armed police force command management system and force structure, and military rule of law system, etc. According to the timetable set by the overall reform plan, by 2020, breakthrough progress shall be made in the reforms of the leadership management system and the joint combat command system, and important results shall be achieved in reforms such as optimizing the scale structure, improving the policy system, and promoting the military-civilian integrated development. In addition, we shall strive to build a modern military power system with Chinese characteristics that can win informatized wars and effectively fulfill missions and tasks, and improve the socialist military system with Chinese characteristics.

The history of the development of the people's army is a history of reform and innovation. The reason why the Chinese People's Liberation Army is always full of vitality is closely linked with advancing with the times and continuously advancing its own reforms. Deepening the national defense and army reform is the era requirement to realize the Chinese Dream and the dream of building a strong army, the only way towards strengthening and revitalizing the army, and also a key move to determine the future of the army.