The strategy of strengthening the country and the army goes first.
-Guidance on innovative development of military strategy.
21. Why do you say that the accuracy of military strategic science is the greatest chance of winning?
President Xi pointed out that the strategic issue is the fundamental issue of a political party and a country. With accurate strategic judgment, scientific strategic planning and strategic initiative, the cause of the party and the people will be promising. Our military strategy has always served to achieve the strategic objectives of the Party and the country, is a program for planning and guiding the construction and application of military forces, and is related to the overall situation of national defense and army building, reform and preparation for military struggle, the outcome of future wars, the consolidation of our party’s ruling position and the long-term stability of the country. Since the founding of New China, the CPC Central Committee and the Central Military Commission have always adjusted their military strategies in a timely manner according to the central tasks of the Party and the state, the international strategic situation and the development and changes of China’s security environment, actively resolved strategic pressures and risks, and created a favorable internal and external environment for achieving strategic goals.
The essence of military strategy is the general plan of war, and whether the military strategic guidance is correct or not is related to the outcome of the war. During the revolutionary war years, our party formulated a series of correct strategies and tactics according to the comparative changes of enemy forces and the development process of the war. From formulating the strategic guidance of "strategic retreat, luring the enemy into depth" and the military principles of "the enemy advances and retreats, the enemy disturbs us, the enemy is exhausted and we fight, and the enemy retreats and pursues us" in the agrarian revolutionary war, to formulating the general policy of protracted war for War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the operational idea of "guerrilla warfare is basically without relaxing mobile warfare under favorable conditions", and then putting forward the "Ten Military Principles" in the liberation war. Scientific and accurate military strategy is the greatest chance of winning. In the past, our army was able to defeat powerful enemies under the condition of backward weapons and equipment. It is very important to formulate and implement correct military strategic guidance and flexible strategies and tactics. What to fight and how to fight are the core questions that military strategic guidance needs to answer. President Xi pointed out that in the spirit of being responsible for history and the country and the nation, we should strengthen the research and planning of war issues and strive to improve the level of war guidance.
Knowledge link
Comrade Mao Zedong on "Swimming in War"
The stage of military strategists’ activities is built on the objective material conditions, but with this stage, military strategists can direct many vivid, powerful and magnificent live plays.
We don’t allow any commander of the Red Army to become a reckless man. We must encourage every Red Army commander to become a brave and wise hero, who not only has overwhelming courage, but also has the ability to control the changes and development of the whole war. Commanders swim in the sea of war. They don’t sink themselves, but make themselves decide to reach the other side step by step. The law that guides war is the swimming skill of war.
"The soldiers have no constant potential, and the water is impermanent." The vitality of military strategic guidance lies in changing with the times and moving according to the situation. The strategic goal of our party and country is to realize the goal of "two hundred years" and realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. This is the fundamental focus that must be firmly grasped in the innovative development of military strategic guidance. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, President Xi has focused on the new requirements of national development strategy and security strategy, kept pace with the times, innovated military strategic guidance, led the formulation of military strategic guidelines in the new era, gradually built a military strategic system in the new era, made overall plans to promote preparations for military struggles in all directions and fields, effectively responded to unexpected situations in all strategic directions, and led the whole army to withstand the test of complex situations and severe struggles with firm will, flexible strategic strategies and powerful military actions, thus maintaining the overall stability of the national strategy. At present, profound changes have taken place in the international situation and China’s security environment, the mission and tasks of our army have been continuously expanded, and the practice of army building, reform and preparation for military struggle has made great progress. It is necessary to set up military strategic thinking, military strategic policy, baton and responsibility for preparing for war in the new era, and greatly strengthen the preparation for military struggle.
22. Why should we adhere to the strategic thinking of active defense?
In July 2019, the white paper "China’s National Defense in the New Era" was published. This is the first comprehensive national defense white paper published since the 18th CPC National Congress. The white paper solemnly declares that China will unswervingly pursue a defensive national defense policy and will never seek hegemony, expansion or sphere of influence. The strategic thought of active defense is the conclusion drawn by the Communist Party of China (CPC) from summing up historical experience and scientifically judging reality and future, and we should unswervingly adhere to it.
Knowledge link
Six Highlights of the White Paper "China’s National Defense in the New Era"
For the first time, China’s defensive national defense policy system in the new era will be constructed.
For the first time, the mission and task of the "four strategic supports" of the army in the new era were officially disclosed.
For the first time, "never seek hegemony, never expand and never seek the sphere of influence" is regarded as the distinctive feature of China’s national defense in the new era.
For the first time, serving and building a community of human destiny is regarded as an important direction of China’s national defense and army building in the new era.
For the first time, the historical achievements in deepening the reform of national defense and the army were introduced in a panoramic way.
It is the first time to clarify the gap between China’s defense expenditure and security demand through the international comparison of defense expenditure.
The strategic thinking of active defense is the basic point of our party’s military strategic thinking, the general policy that our army has always adhered to and the magic weapon to defeat the enemy. Engels pointed out: "The most effective defense is still active defense by offensive." In the long-term revolutionary war practice, the people’s army has formed a set of active defensive strategic ideas, adhered to the unity of strategic defense and offensive in battle, adhered to the principle of defense, self-defense and taking the initiative after the enemy, and adhered to the principle that "people will not attack me, and I will not commit crimes; If people commit crimes against me, I will commit crimes. " In April 1955, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward at the meeting of the Central Secretariat that the military strategic policy of the new China is active defense. In March 1956, active defense was formally established as a national military strategy. Later, according to the development and changes of the national security situation, the Central Military Commission made many adjustments to the content of the military strategic policy of active defense, which provided a fundamental basis for guiding military struggles in different periods and ensuring overall strategic stability. Should we persist in active defense in the new era? We should not only persist, but also persevere. At the same time, we must proceed from the conditions of the times, enrich and improve the connotation of the strategic thinking of active defense, make a fuss about the word "active", further broaden the strategic vision, update the strategic thinking, move forward the guiding focus, effectively shape the situation, control the crisis, contain the war and win the war.
Strategically, always insisting on active defense is fundamentally determined by the national nature of our country. Marxist view of war holds that the proletariat is fighting a just war, so it is a defensive war. China is a socialist country, taking the road of peaceful development, adhering to an independent foreign policy of peace and pursuing a defensive national defense policy, and will not invade other countries. As a developing country, China has been facing arduous and arduous economic construction tasks and needs a peaceful and friendly external environment. The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation. The pursuit of peace, harmony and harmony is deeply rooted in the spiritual world of the Chinese nation and deeply melted into the blood of the people of China. In January 2019, the photo exhibition "Zheng He’s Sailing to the West" was held at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. During the visit, some members said that China, once the largest power in the world, advocated peace and harmony since ancient times, and never advocated expansion and aggression. Although China had advanced navigation technology in the 15th century, it did not rely on strong ships and guns to plunder everywhere like western countries. This tells an objective fact: there is no gene in the blood of the Chinese nation to invade others and dominate the world. Since the founding of New China more than 70 years ago, China’s national defense construction and development have always focused on meeting its own legitimate needs for security. It has never been hegemonic by bullying the small, bullying the weak, or forming alliances. It has never initiated any war or conflict, and has never occupied an inch of other countries’ territory. History has proved, and will continue to prove, that China will never pursue hegemony and "a strong country will dominate". No matter how China’s national strength and military strength develop,To what extent, it will not pose a threat to other countries. As President Xi declared to the world, "The lion China has woken up, but it is a peaceful, amiable and civilized lion".
Adhering to the strategic thinking of active defense will help us to occupy the moral high ground, master the political and diplomatic initiative, stop the war by force and ensure the peaceful development of the country. "Although the country is big, belligerence will die." Throughout the history of the world, anyone who pursues a military strategy with expansion and hegemony as the fundamental goal and relies on force to invade and expand abroad will eventually fail. After the founding of New China, we adhered to the strategic thinking of active defense, always occupied the international moral commanding heights, and maintained the political and strategic initiative. We are committed to handling territorial issues and maritime delimitation disputes through negotiation and consultation, and have completely solved land border issues with 12 of the 14 neighboring countries, opening up a brand-new road for peaceful settlement of historical issues between countries and international disputes. Even when territorial sovereignty is violated and forced to fight back in self-defense, it is forced to do so when all peaceful means have been exhausted, and it is limited. Adhering to the concept of "One World", we have promoted the building of a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, win-win cooperation, actively promoted the building of a community of human destiny, created favorable external conditions for China’s development, and continuously enhanced China’s international influence, appeal and shaping power, and stood in the world nation’s forest with a more high-spirited attitude.
