The Innovative Development of National Defense Modernization in the New Era

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC made specific arrangements for "achieving the centenary goal of the People's Army by 2027 and opening up new prospects for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces," proposing that "achieving the centenary goal of the People's Army by 2027 and accelerating the building of the People's Army into a world-class military are strategic requirements for comprehensively building a modern socialist country." General Secretary Xi Jinping's relevant important expositions and the deployment of the 20th National Congress of the CPC fully demonstrate that China is not only advancing Chinese-path modernization in the economic and social fields but is also comprehensively promoting modernization in the military field simultaneously. This is an indispensable component of the mission and tasks of the Communist Party of China in the New Era and the new journey. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has profoundly discerned the general trend of the times, firmly grasped historical initiative, and led China's national defense and military construction in grand and unique practical innovations. National defense and military modernization have set sail with great achievements, forming Xi Jinping's important expositions on national defense and military modernization, which are rich in content and profound in thought.

党的二十大报告对“实现建军一百年奋斗目标，开创国防和军队现代化新局面”做出专门部署，提出“如期实现建军一百年奋斗目标，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的战略要求”。习近平总书记相关重要论述和党的二十大部署充分表明，我国不仅在经济社会等领域推进中国式现代化，而且同步全面推进军事领域的现代化，这是中国共产党新时代新征程使命任务中不可或缺的组成部分。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央深刻洞察时代大势，牢牢把握历史主动，引领中国国防和军队建设进行宏大而独特的实践创新，国防和军队现代化扬帆远航、成就斐然，形成了内容丰富、思想深邃的习近平总书记关于国防和军队现代化的重要论述。

I. Comprehensively Summarizing Historical Experience, Deeply Grasping the Development Process of National Defense and Military Modernization

一、全面总结历史经验，深刻把握国防和军队现代化发展历程

Learning from history to create the future requires accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military. The People's Army has rendered immortal meritorious service to the Party and the people. It is a strong pillar for defending the red rivers and mountains and safeguarding national dignity, as well as a powerful force for maintaining regional and world peace. Looking back at history, accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military has been the unswerving pursuit of our Party. A strong country must have a strong military; only when the military is strong can the country be secure. This is a lesson drawn from the painful historical experience of modern China's backwardness and vulnerability to attack, and it is also an important experience from the historical leap of the Chinese nation from standing up, becoming prosperous, to becoming strong. In various historical periods, our Party has always regarded the realization of national defense and military modernization as a goal diligently pursued. Based on the strategic security environment and the actual conditions of the country and the military, it has scientifically analyzed the characteristics and laws of national defense and military construction, deeply grasped the laws of national defense construction, always insisted on placing the modernization of national defense and the military in an important position in the overall cause of the Party and the state, scientifically demarcated the development direction and key breakthroughs for national defense and military modernization, made arduous efforts, and achieved great successes.

以史为鉴、开创未来，必须加快推进国防和军队现代化。人民军队为党和人民建立了不朽功勋，是保卫红色江山、维护民族尊严的坚强柱石，也是维护地区与世界和平的强大力量。回顾历史，加快推进国防和军队现代化是我们党始终不渝的追求。强国必须强军，军强才能国安，是由近代中国落后挨打的惨痛历史教训得来的，也是中华民族迎来从站起来、富起来到强起来的历史飞跃的重要经验。我们党在各个历史时期，始终把实现国防和军队现代化作为孜孜以求的奋斗目标，立足战略安全环境和国情军情实际，科学分析国防和军队建设特点和规律，深刻把握国防建设规律，始终坚持把国防和军队现代化建设摆在党和国家事业全局重要位置，科学标定国防和军队现代化发展方向和突破重点，付出了艰苦努力，取得了巨大成就。

Since the founding of New China, the Communist Party of China has formed, developed, and continuously improved its thinking on national defense and military modernization. Xi Jinping's thought on strengthening the military and his important expositions on national defense and military modernization are in the same lineage. Looking at the historical process of our Party's leadership in the cause of national defense and military modernization, whenever the operation of the military system hindered or limited the military's ability to generate combat effectiveness, our Party would strike at the "stumbling blocks" that deviated from military modernization, such as conceptual obstacles, interest constraints, and management shackles. After the founding of New China, during the period of socialist revolution and construction, it was particularly important to take a new path for national defense and military modernization. During this period, the level of national defense and military modernization in our country was relatively low, and military supplies, weapons, and equipment were relatively backward. The direction of effort for national defense and military construction was to utilize all available resources and conditions to raise the level of national defense and military modernization, ultimately bringing the military's military conditions and political literacy to an advanced level. To this end, the Central Military Commission implemented four rounds of military streamlining and restructuring. In guiding the development of our military, Mao Zedong emphasized building a combined-arms military, called for accelerating the construction of the navy, air force, and other technical branches, and achieved major breakthroughs in the modernization and regularization of the military. Mao Zedong also placed great emphasis on the enormous role of military theory in revealing the laws of war and guiding the modernization of national defense and the military. He approved a plan to "reconstruct and build a number of new-type academies and schools suitable for cultivating modern combat personnel, based on the schools founded during the war years." The important content of Mao Zedong Thought concerning national defense and military modernization provided important guidance for winning a precious peaceful environment, was an important guarantee for China's socialist construction, enhanced national strength, and raised China's international status. Entering the new period of reform and opening up and socialist modernization, Deng Xiaoping insisted on strengthening national defense capabilities and doing a good job of the military's central work as an important part of enhancing comprehensive national strength and carrying out modernization. This was an important guarantee for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making the country prosperous and strong, and it was also an inherent requirement of modernization. Deng Xiaoping also regarded the modernization of science and technology as a goal of struggle. He emphasized, "Modern science and technology are undergoing a great revolution" and "The key to the four modernizations is the modernization of science and technology." The important content of Deng Xiaoping Theory concerning national defense and military modernization endowed national defense construction with new vitality and combat effectiveness, laid the foundation for the sustained development of national defense and military modernization, and propelled our country's national defense and military modernization to a new stage. In the process of leading national defense and military modernization, Jiang Zemin inherited the thoughts and theories of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping on national defense and military modernization, and in accordance with the new characteristics of the times, guided by the important thought of the "Three Represents," he addressed the issues of national defense and military modernization under the new situation, proposing: "Building a solid national defense is a strategic task for our country's modernization and an important guarantee for maintaining national security and unity and for comprehensively building a moderately prosperous society." He precisely analyzed the position of national defense and military modernization within socialist modernization and developed a new ideological understanding of the national defense cause. Hu Jintao implemented and enriched and developed the relevant thoughts and theories of successive leading collectives of our Party, and in accordance with the new world conditions, national conditions, and Party conditions of the 21st century, he proposed using the Scientific Outlook on Development to guide the modernization of national defense and the military in the new period, forming a theory of national defense and military modernization with the characteristics of the times, which laid the theoretical foundation for the development of our Party's thinking on national defense and military modernization in the 21st century.

新中国成立以来，中国共产党形成、发展并不断完善国防和军队现代化思想，习近平强军思想、习近平总书记关于国防和军队现代化的重要论述，与其一脉相承。纵观我们党领导国防和军队现代化事业的历史进程，每当军事系统的运行阻碍或限制军队发挥战斗力，我们党就会向背离军事现代化的观念障碍、利益羁绊、管理束缚等“绊脚石”开刀。新中国成立后，在社会主义革命和建设时期，走一条国防和军队和现代化新路尤为重要。这一时期，我国国防和军队现代化水平较低，军用物品、武器装备等比较落后。国防和军队建设的努力方向，是要利用一切可以利用的资源和条件，提升国防和军队现代化水平，最终使军队的军事条件和政治素养达到先进水平。为此，中央军委四次施行军队精简整编战略。在指导我军发展过程中，毛泽东强调要建设合成军队，要求加快海军、空军、其他技术兵种建设，军队走向现代化和正规化取得重大突破。毛泽东还十分注重军事理论在揭示战争规律、指导国防和军队现代化建设中的巨大作用，他曾批准方案，“以战争年代创办的学校为基础，改建、新建一批适应培养现代作战人才的种类院校”。毛泽东思想中关于国防和军队现代化的重要内容，为赢得宝贵的和平环境提供了重要指导，是我国开展社会主义建设的重要保障，增强了国家实力，提高了我国的国际地位。进入改革开放和社会主义现代化建设新时期，邓小平坚持把增强国防力量、做好军队中心工作，作为提升综合国力、开展现代化建设的重要部分，这是实现中华民族伟大复兴和国家走向富强的重要保障，也是现代化建设的内在要求。邓小平还把科学技术现代化视为奋斗目标，他强调，“现代科学技术正在经历着一场伟大的革命”“四个现代化，关键是科学技术的现代化”。邓小平理论关于国防和军队现代化的重要内容，赋予国防建设新的生命力和战斗力，为国防和军队现代化的持续发展奠定了基础，推动了我国国防和军队现代化建设迈向新的阶段。江泽民在领导国防和军队现代化建设进程中，继承了毛泽东、邓小平关于国防和军队现代化的思想和理论，并根据新的时代特征，以“三个代表”重要思想为指导，应对新形势下国防和军队现代化问题，提出：“建立巩固的国防是我国现代化建设的战略任务，是维护国家安全统一和全面建设小康社会的重要保障。”他精确分析了国防和军队现代化建设在社会主义现代化建设中的位置，对国防事业有了全新思想认识。胡锦涛贯彻并丰富发展了我们党历届领导集体相关思想和理论，并根据21世纪新的世情、国情、党情，提出要用科学发展观指导新时期国防和军队现代化建设，形成了具有时代特色的国防和军队现代化理论，为21世纪发展我们党国防和军队现代化思想奠定了理论基础。

Realizing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is an important guarantee for realizing Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping, focusing on advancing the cause of a strong military in the New Era, has consistently placed the building of national defense and the armed forces within the goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, within the context of securing new victories in the great struggle with many new historical features, and within the framework of the Five-Sphere Integrated Plan and the Four-Pronged Comprehensive Strategy. He has established a grand design for top-level planning, a broad vision for transformation and leapfrogging, and a comprehensive strategy for building and governing the military, guiding the cause of national defense and military modernization in the New Era to open up new horizons. In October 2017, the 19th National Congress of the CPC was successfully held, making strategic plans for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. In October 2022, the 20th National Congress of the CPC incorporated the modernization of national defense and the armed forces into the overall strategic framework of Chinese-path modernization and into the overall process of building a modern socialist country, clearly stating that achieving the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army by 2027 and accelerating the building of the people's armed forces into world-class forces are strategic requirements for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. Xi Jinping has integrated the strengthening of the military and the rejuvenation of the armed forces into the broader goal of national rejuvenation and strength, setting out a clear roadmap, timetable, and task list for taking the path of building a strong military with Chinese characteristics. This specifies achieving the centenary goal of the People's Liberation Army by 2027, basically realizing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces by 2035, and comprehensively building world-class forces by the mid-21st century, thus achieving the synchronized resonance of national defense and military modernization with the advancement of Chinese-path modernization. As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, our Party has comprehensively deepened reform with tremendous political courage, achieving historic transformations, systemic restructuring, and holistic reconstruction in many areas, injecting an inexhaustible source of momentum into the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. At the ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC, Xi Jinping systematically elaborated on the "nine imperatives" [4]4 The "nine imperatives" (九个必须) refer to the nine fundamental requirements Xi Jinping outlined in his July 1, 2021 speech at the CPC centenary celebration, including the imperative to accelerate national defense and military modernization. of experience, inspiration, and fundamental requirements that must be firmly grasped to learn from history and create the future, one of which is "must accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces." In the same year, the "Resolution of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on the Major Achievements and Historical Experience of the Party over the Past Century" profoundly pointed out that it is necessary to build a consolidated national defense and a strong people's military commensurate with China's international standing and compatible with its national security and development interests. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC set up a dedicated section to elaborate on "Achieving the Centenary Goal of the People's Liberation Army and Opening Up New Horizons in the Modernization of National Defense and the Armed Forces." The world is undergoing a transition between old and new patterns, orders, and systems; the international strategic landscape is undergoing profound adjustment; competition over development paths and models is intensifying; and our country is at a critical stage of transitioning from a large country to a strong one. We are both closer than ever to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and face unprecedented risks and challenges. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation will not be achieved easily, with beating drums and gongs; we must be prepared to withstand high winds, choppy waters, and even treacherous waves. To comprehensively advance the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-path modernization, strong support from the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is needed.

实现国防和军队现代化，是实现中国式现代化的重要保证。党的十八大以来，习近平着眼推进新时代强军事业，始终把国防和军队建设放在实现中华民族伟大复兴的目标下来思考，放在夺取具有许多新的历史特点的伟大斗争新胜利中来考量，放在“五位一体”总体布局和“四个全面”战略布局中来运筹，确立了顶层谋划的大设计、转型跨越的大思路、建军治军的大方略，指引新时代国防和军队现代化事业开创新局面。2017年10月，党的十九大胜利召开，对全面建成社会主义现代化强国做出战略部署。2022年10月，党的二十大把国防和军队现代化纳入中国式现代化战略全局，纳入建设社会主义现代化国家整体进程，明确提出如期实现建军一百年奋斗目标，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的战略要求。习近平将强军兴军融入强国复兴大局，对走中国特色强军之路提出了清晰的路线图、时间表、任务书，明确到2027年实现建军一百年奋斗目标、到2035年基本实现国防和军队现代化、到本世纪中叶全面建成世界一流军队，实现了国防和军队现代化与推进中国式现代化同频共振。中国特色社会主义进入新时代，我们党以巨大的政治勇气全面深化改革，许多领域实现历史性变革、系统性重塑、整体性重构，为国防和军队现代化建设注入不竭动力源泉。在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上，习近平系统阐述了以史为鉴、开创未来必须牢牢把握的“九个必须”经验启示和根本要求，其中一条是“必须加快国防和军队现代化”。同年，《中共中央关于党的百年奋斗重大成就和历史经验的决议》深刻指出，必须建设同我国国际地位相称、同国家安全和发展利益相适应的巩固国防和强大人民军队。党的二十大报告设立专门部分，阐述“实现建军一百年奋斗目标，开创国防和军队现代化新局面”。世界新旧格局转换、新旧秩序更迭、新旧体系更替，国际战略格局深度调整，发展道路和发展模式竞争更加激烈，我们国家处于由大向强发展的关键阶段，既前所未有地接近实现中华民族伟大复兴，也面临前所未有的风险挑战。中华民族伟大复兴绝不是轻轻松松、敲锣打鼓就能实现的，要做好经受风高浪急甚至惊涛骇浪的准备。以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业，需要国防和军队现代化的有力支撑。

II. Accurately Grasping the Laws, Scientifically Defining the Essence and Core Meaning of National Defense and Military Modernization

二、准确把握规律，科学标定国防和军队现代化精髓要义

As socialism with Chinese characteristics enters the New Era, the connotation and extension of national security, its internal and external factors, and its temporal and spatial context have undergone profound changes. The Party and the people have entrusted the people's military with missions and tasks for the New Era. The "strength" of the capability to build a strong military and win wars relies on the "high quality" of development. By prioritizing high-quality development, unswervingly advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, continuously enhancing the modernization of military theory, military organizational forms, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment, improving the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, effectively fulfilling the missions and tasks of the people's military in the New Era, and striving to open up new horizons in the modernization of national defense and the armed forces, we can provide strong strategic support for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has delivered a series of important expositions on strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces, put forward a series of major strategic thoughts, major theoretical viewpoints, and major policy decisions, scientifically answered the epochal questions of the New Era, such as "who commands the people's military and how to forge its soul," "why to build a strong military and how to build it," and "what wars to fight and how to win them," forming a systematic and complete theoretical system. Xi Jinping emphasized that since the 19th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission have made new strategic plans and arrangements for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. It is necessary to adhere to political building of the military, reform to strengthen the military, science and technology to invigorate the military, talent to power the military, and law-based governance of the military; comprehensively advance the modernization of military theory, military organizational forms, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment; accelerate the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence; comprehensively strengthen military training and combat readiness; and ensure the achievement of the goals and tasks for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. The author believes that, on this basis, General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the modernization of national defense and the armed forces are extremely rich in innovative content, and their essence and core meaning can be grasped from the following five aspects.

中国特色社会主义进入新时代，国家安全的内涵外延、内外因素、时空背景发生深刻变化，党和人民赋予人民军队新时代使命任务。强军胜战能力之“强”，依托于发展质量之“高”。坚持把高质量发展放在首位，坚定不移把国防和军队现代化推向前进，不断提升军事理论现代化、军队组织形态现代化、军事人员现代化、武器装备现代化，提高捍卫国家主权、安全、发展利益战略能力，有效履行新时代人民军队使命任务，奋力开创国防和军队现代化新局面，就能够为实现中华民族伟大复兴提供坚强战略支撑。党的十八大以来，习近平围绕强军兴军发表一系列重要论述，提出一系列重大战略思想、重大理论观点、重大决策部署，科学回答了新时代“人民军队听谁指挥、怎样铸牢军魂”“为什么强军、怎样强军”“打什么仗、怎样打胜仗”等时代课题，形成了系统完整的理论体系。习近平强调，党的十九大以来，党中央和中央军委就国防和军队现代化作了新的战略筹划和安排。要坚持政治建军、改革强军、科技强军、人才强军、依法治军，全面推进军事理论、军队组织形态、军事人员、武器装备现代化，加快机械化信息化智能化融合发展，全面加强练兵备战，确保实现国防和军队现代化目标任务。笔者认为，在此基础上，习近平总书记关于国防和军队现代化的重要论述极富创新内涵，可从以下五方面把握其精髓要义。

(I) Must Adhere to the Party's Absolute Leadership over the Modernization of National Defense and the Armed Forces

（一）必须坚持党对国防和军队现代化的绝对领导

Adhering to the Party commanding the gun and leading the building of a modern national defense and modern armed forces is an irrefutable truth that the Party has derived from the struggle of blood and fire. Xi Jinping pointed out: "On the road ahead, the people's military must firmly adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the military, regarding this as the military soul that the people's military can never change and the lifeline that it can never discard. At any time and under any circumstances, it must take the Party's banner as its banner, the Party's direction as its direction, and the Party's will as its will." This important exposition elucidates the extreme importance of adhering to the Party's absolute leadership over the military, clarifies the highest political requirement and absolute standard for the people's military, and reveals the correct direction for advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. This is the essential requirement of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important expositions on the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. The fundamental principle and system of the Party's absolute leadership over the military originated with the Nanchang Uprising, was established on the foundation of the Sanwan Reorganization, and was finalized at the Gutian Congress. It is the political characteristic and fundamental advantage that completely distinguishes the people's military from all old armies. In long-term practice, our Party has created a series of systems for the Party's absolute leadership over the military, such as the system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming overall responsibility, the system of Party committees, the system of political commissars, and the system of political organs. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has adhered to combining the military principles of Marxism with China's specific realities and the fine traditional Chinese culture, and with the world situation, national conditions, Party conditions, and military conditions, correctly answering the questions concerning national defense and military construction raised by the times, developing and perfecting the military leadership system with Chinese characteristics, and providing an important guarantee for advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces.

坚持党指挥枪、领导建设现代化国防和现代化军队，是党在血与火的斗争中得出的颠扑不破的真理。习近平指出：“前进道路上，人民军队必须牢牢坚持党对军队的绝对领导，把这一条当作人民军队永远不能变的军魂、永远不能丢的命根子，任何时候任何情况下都以党的旗帜为旗帜、以党的方向为方向、以党的意志为意志。”这一重要论述阐明了坚持党对军队绝对领导的极端重要性，明确了人民军队的最高政治要求和绝对标准，揭示出推进国防和军队现代化的正确方向，这是习近平总书记关于国防和军队现代化重要论述的本质要求。党对军队绝对领导的根本原则和制度，发端于南昌起义，奠基于三湾改编，定型于古田会议，是人民军队完全区别于一切旧军队的政治特质和根本优势。长期实践中，我们党创建了军委主席负责制、党委制、政治委员制、政治机关制等一系列党对军队绝对领导的制度。党的十八大以来，习近平坚持把马克思主义军事原理同中国具体实际、中华优秀传统文化相结合，同世情、国情、党情、军情相结合，正确回答了时代提出的国防和军队建设问题，发展完善了中国特色军事领导体制，为推进国防和军队现代化提供了重要保障。

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC pointed out that from now on, the central task of the Communist Party of China is to unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups across the country to comprehensively build a great modern socialist country, achieve the second centenary goal, and comprehensively advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. [5]5 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Conference to Commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Liberation Army," *People's Daily*, August 2, 2017. National defense and military modernization are an important component of Chinese-path modernization. Building a modernized national defense and military is an indispensable link in realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Under the new situation, advancing national defense and military modernization under the leadership of the Party is an inherent requirement for the development of the people’s army, and even more so an inevitable requirement for realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, centering on “ensuring that the gun is always under the Party’s command,” comprehensively deployed various tasks for Party building in the military. [6]6 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017, where Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the Party Constitution and a strategic plan for national defense and military modernization was outlined. These deployments concern the nature, purpose, and true character of the people’s army, concern the great new project of Party building in the New Era, and embody our Party’s far-reaching considerations for consolidating and strengthening fundamental political advantages. Only by obeying the Party’s command can the military be ensured to act upon orders and follow commands. Fulfilling the missions and tasks of the New Era requires upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the people’s army, deeply implementing the strategy of strengthening the military through reform; it requires comprehensively implementing a series of fundamental principles and systems by which the Party leads the people’s army, firmly establishing the guiding position of Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military in national defense and military modernization, continuously strengthening the Four Consciousnesses, consolidating the Four Confidences, achieving the Two Upholds, [7]7 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022, which further elaborated on the goals and tasks for national defense and military modernization in the New Era. unswervingly upholding the authority of the Party Central Committee, upholding the core, upholding and implementing the system of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission assuming overall responsibility, always maintaining a high degree of consistency with the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and Chairman Xi, and resolutely obeying the commands of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and Chairman Xi; deeply studying the series of new thoughts, new viewpoints, new judgments, and new requirements put forward by our Party regarding national defense and military construction since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, continuously enhancing the combat effectiveness, cohesion, and influence of the people’s army, and providing a strong guarantee for realizing national defense and military modernization.

党的二十大报告指出，从现在起，中国共产党的中心任务就是团结带领全国各族人民全面建成社会主义现代化强国、实现第二个百年奋斗目标，以中国式现代化全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。国防和军队现代化是中国式现代化的重要组成部分，建设现代化的国防和军队是实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦必不可少的环节。新形势下，在党的领导下推进国防和军队现代化是人民军队发展的内在要求，更是实现中华民族伟大复兴中国梦的必然要求。党的二十大报告围绕“确保枪杆子永远听党指挥”，全面部署了军队党的建设各项任务。这些部署事关人民军队性质、宗旨、本色，事关新时代党的建设新的伟大工程，体现了我们党着眼强固根本政治优势的深远考量。听党指挥才能确保军队闻令而动、听令而行，履行新时代使命任务必须坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导，深入实施改革强军战略；必须全面贯彻党领导人民军队的一系列根本原则和制度，牢固确立习近平强军思想在国防和军队现代化建设中的指导地位，不断增强“四个意识”、坚定“四个自信”、做到“两个维护”，坚定不移维护党中央权威、维护核心、维护和贯彻军委主席负责制，始终同党中央、中央军委和习主席保持高度一致，坚决听从党中央、中央军委和习主席指挥；深入学习党的十八大以来我们党围绕国防和军队建设提出的一系列新思想新观点新论断新要求，不断增强人民军队的战斗力、凝聚力、影响力，为实现国防和军队现代化提供有力保障。

(II) Always Ensure that National Defense and Military Modernization Are Advanced Around the Overall Situation

（二）始终确保围绕大局推动国防和军队现代化建设

In long-term practice, our Party has insisted on placing national defense and military modernization in an important position within the overall cause of the Party and the state, making arduous efforts and achieving tremendous accomplishments. Xi Jinping has led the people’s army to always focus on goal orientation, insisting on considering national defense and military modernization within the highest interests of the country, the nation, and the people, planning it within the strategic layout of national modernization in various periods, and designing it within the process of strengthening the country and the military, using the goals of national modernization in different periods to position the goals of national defense and military modernization, ensuring that national defense and military modernization advance in the same direction, work with one heart, and develop synchronously with national modernization.

在长期实践中，我们党坚持把国防和军队现代化建设摆在党和国家事业全局重要位置，付出艰苦努力，取得巨大成就。习近平引领人民军队始终着眼目标导向，坚持把国防和军队现代化放在国家、民族、人民最高利益中考量，放在各个时期国家现代化建设战略布局中运筹，放在强国强军进程中谋划，以不同时期国家现代化的目标定位国防和军队现代化的目标，确保国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同向前行、同心协力、同步发展。

First, ensure that national defense and military modernization advance in the same direction as national modernization. Xi Jinping emphasizes that we must always adhere to the goals established by the Party to lead national defense and military modernization, ensuring that national defense and military modernization move in the same direction as national modernization. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC proposed the central task, clarified the goal orientation of national modernization in the New Era, and set the coordinates of the era for national defense and military modernization — comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. National defense and military modernization are an important component of national modernization, and their strategic goals must be consistent with the strategic goals of national modernization development.

第一，确保国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同向前行。习近平强调要始终坚持以党确立的奋斗目标引领国防和军队现代化，确保国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同向行动。党的二十大报告提出了中心任务，明确了新时代国家现代化的目标指向，为国防和军队现代化标定时代座标——全面推进中华民族伟大复兴。国防和军队现代化是国家现代化的重要组成部分，其战略目标必须与国家现代化发展战略目标相一致。

Second, ensure that national defense and military modernization work with one heart as national modernization. Entering the New Era, Xi Jinping made new arrangements for the strategic goals of national defense and military modernization based on the strategic goals of national modernization development. In his report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, he clearly stated: “In step with the process of national modernization, comprehensively advance the modernization of military theory, the modernization of military organizational forms, the modernization of military personnel, and the modernization of weaponry and equipment, striving to basically achieve national defense and military modernization by 2035, and to fully build the people’s army into a world-class military by the middle of this century.” The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC proposed that “achieving the centenary goal of military construction on schedule and accelerating the building of the people’s army into a world-class military are strategic requirements for comprehensively building a modern socialist country,” and designated building the people’s army into a world-class military as the strategic goal for national defense and military modernization by the middle of the 21st century, providing clear goals and a direction for progress for national defense and military modernization.

第二，确保国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同心协力。进入新时代，习近平根据国家现代化发展战略目标，对国防和军队现代化战略目标作出新的安排。他在党的十九大报告中明确提出：“同国家现代化进程相一致，全面推进军事理论现代化、军队组织形态现代化、军事人员现代化、武器装备现代化，力争到二〇三五年基本实现国防和军队现代化，到本世纪中叶把人民军队全面建成世界一流军队。”党的二十大报告提出，“如期实现建军一百年奋斗目标，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队，是全面建设社会主义现代化国家的战略要求”，并把人民军队建成世界一流军队，确定为到21世纪中叶国防和军队现代化的战略目标，为国防和军队现代化提供了明确的奋斗目标和前进方向。

Third, ensure that national defense and military modernization develop synchronously with national modernization. Our Party has always focused on planning steps and pathways to achieve synchronous development of national defense and military modernization with national modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping has issued a series of important instructions on national defense and military modernization, put forward a series of important thoughts, and made a series of major deployments, forming a scientific guide and fundamental follow-up for advancing national defense and military modernization in the New Era. The 19th National Congress of the CPC made new strategic arrangements for comprehensively advancing national defense and military modernization, proposing to basically achieve mechanization by 2020, make significant progress in informatization, and greatly enhance strategic capabilities; striving to basically achieve national defense and military modernization by 2035, and to fully build the people’s army into a world-class military by the middle of this century. This strategic plan advanced the realization time of the third step of the original “three-step” development strategy by a full 15 years. [8]8 The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) is the national economic and social development plan for that period. It can be seen that this “three-step” development plan is consistent with the goals and steps of Chinese-path modernization development, giving the “roadmaps” of national defense and military modernization and national modernization the same coordinate positioning and forward path.

第三，确保国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同步发展。我们党一直注重通过规划步骤路径，做到国防和军队现代化与国家现代化同步发展。党的十八大以来，习近平对国防和军队现代化作出一系列重要指示，提出一系列重要思想，作出一系列重大部署，形成了新时代推进国防和军队现代化的科学指南和根本遵循。党的十九大对全面推进国防和军队现代化作出新的战略安排，提出到2020年基本实现机械化，信息化建设取得重大进展，战略能力有大的提升；力争到2035年基本实现国防和军队现代化，到本世纪中叶把人民军队全面建成世界一流军队。这个战略规划将原来的“三步走”发展战略第三步目标的实现时间整整提前了15年。可以看出，这“三步走”的发展规划同中国式现代化发展目标步骤相一致，使国防和军队现代化与国家现代化“路线图”有了相同坐标定位和前进路线。

(III) Focus on Combat Readiness as the Driving Force, Ensure the People’s Army Is Competent for Its Missions

（三）着眼打仗牵引，确保人民军队胜任使命

“Being capable of fighting and winning battles” is the duty of the military, determining that all military work must revolve around “being capable of fighting and winning battles,” and also determining the ultimate goal of national defense and military modernization.

“能打仗、打胜仗”是军队职责所在，决定了军队一切工作都必须围绕“能打仗、打胜仗”展开，也决定了国防和军队现代化的落脚点。

First, lead and advance modernization with the need for “being capable of fighting and winning battles.” Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has always insisted on guiding

第一，着眼“能打仗、打胜仗”需要领导推进现代化。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央始终坚持以“能打仗、打胜仗”引领国防和军队现代化建设，“军队建设必须把提高战斗力作为出发点和落脚点，向能打仗、打胜仗的要求聚焦。一旦发生战事，军队必须能决战决胜。如果军队在战场上打不赢，那是要产生严重政治后果的”。要求“要把发展高新技术武器装备摆在战略位置，加大建设力度，重点发展能有效制敌的‘铩手锏’武器装备，着力突破核心关键技术，优化武器装备体系结构”。党的二十大报告在部署“实现建军一百年奋斗目标，开创国防和军队现代化新局面”中提出：“坚持边斗争、边备战、边建设，坚持机械化信息化智能化融合发展，加快军事理论现代化、军队组织形态现代化、军事人员现代化、武器装备现代化，提高捍卫国家主权、安全、发展利益战略能力，有效履行新时代人民军队使命任务。”这就为国防和军队现代化围绕“能打仗、打胜仗”作了战略规划和布局。

Second, focusing on the trends in world military development to lead and advance modernization. Entering the New Era, Xi Jinping has consistently adhered to viewing problems from an overall perspective and with a long-term vision, looking out at the world today, looking toward future development, and basing himself on current realities, to vigorously promote the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. Facing the new round of scientific and technological development and the evolution of the world military revolution, and based on the profound impact of informatization and intelligentization on the military theories, forms of war, and operational styles of modern warfare, Xi Jinping pointed out: "We must keep pace with the accelerating trend of the new world military revolution, advance military transformation with Chinese characteristics, and strive to build a modern military force structure with Chinese characteristics." [5]5 Xi Jinping, "Speech at the Conference to Commemorate the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Liberation Army," *People's Daily*, August 2, 2017. The report to the 19th National Congress of the CPC, focusing on the development trends of the world military revolution, the security challenges facing the country, and the actual situation of military modernization, clearly stated "strive to basically achieve modernization of national defense and the armed forces by 2035, and fully transform the people's armed forces into world-class forces by the mid-21st century," and also clearly defined the direction of effort for "comprehensively advancing the modernization of military theory, the modernization of military organizational forms, the modernization of military personnel, and the modernization of weaponry and equipment," providing a theoretical basis and fundamental guide for planning the modernization of national defense and the armed forces at a new historical starting point.

第二，着眼世界军事发展潮流领导推进现代化。进入新时代，习近平始终坚持从全局角度、以长远眼光看问题，放眼当今世界，放眼未来发展，立足当前实际，着力推动国防和军队现代化。面对新一轮科学技术发展和世界军事革命演进，基于信息化、智能化对现代战争的军事理论、战争形态、作战样式的深刻影响，习近平指出：“要紧跟世界新军事变革加速发展趋势，推进中国特色军事变革，努力构建中国特色现代军事力量体系。”党的十九大报告着眼世界军事革命发展趋势、国家面临的安全挑战和军队现代化建设实际，明确“力争到2035年基本实现国防和军队现代化，到本世纪中叶把人民军队全面建成世界一流军队”，还明确“全面推进军事理论现代化、军队组织形态现代化、军事人员现代化、武器装备现代化”的努力方向，为在新的历史起点上规划国防和军队现代化提供了理论依据和根本指南。

(4) Upholding independence and self-reliance, blazing a distinctive path for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces.

（四）坚持独立自强，开拓国防和军队现代化特色之路

Xi Jinping consistently adheres to basing himself on China’s concrete realities, emphasizes independence and self-reliance, and guides the opening up and expansion of a new path for national defense and military modernization that is workable, effective, and rapid. “Building a house on someone else’s foundation, no matter how large or beautiful, may not withstand wind and rain, and may even collapse at a single blow.” If we can only imitate the “modernization development model” of the world’s military powers and measure the results of China’s national defense and military modernization according to the “modernization standards” of those powers, we will inevitably end up in a “neither-fish-nor-fowl” situation, or even fall into a “trap” preset by the enemy.

习近平始终坚持立足中国具体实际，强调独立自强，指引开辟、拓展走得通、走得好、走得快的国防和军队现代化新道路。“在别人的墙基上砌房子，再大再漂亮也可能经不起风雨，甚至会不堪一击。”如果我们只能够模仿世界军事强国的“现代化发展模式”，按照世界军事强国的“现代化标准”衡量我国国防和军队现代化建设结果，必然会出现“四不象”局面，甚至还会掉入敌人预设的“陷阱”。

First, proceeding from China’s national and military conditions, adhering to seeking truth from facts and proceeding from reality in everything, is the fundamental attitude and logical starting point for Chinese Communists to promote national defense and military modernization. This stipulates that China’s national defense and military modernization cannot copy the development models and empirical practices of Western countries’ national defense and military modernization, still less can it follow behind military powers in purchasing equipment and imitating manufacturing. It must, based on China’s specific national and military conditions, achieve self-reliance and self-strengthening, and independently develop modern equipment for national defense and the military. Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military, using the Marxist worldview and methodology to analyze contemporary Chinese national defense and military construction issues, adheres to our Party’s consistent fundamental strategy for building and governing the military, fully absorbs the essence of China’s excellent traditional military culture and outstanding achievements in world military development, and profoundly elucidates the Party’s goal of strengthening the military in the New Era and the military’s mission tasks, construction layout, strategic guidance, the necessary path, powerful driving force, methods of military governance, development path, and other major theoretical issues. It has realized the adaptation of Marxist military theory to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, always adheres to proceeding from concrete realities, takes doing our own work well as the focal point, and guides the promotion of China’s national defense and military modernization.

第一，从我国国情、军情出发，坚持实事求是，一切从实际出发，是中国共产党人推动国防和军队现代化的根本态度和逻辑起点。这就规定了中国的国防和军队现代化不能照搬西方国家国防和军队现代化发展模式和经验做法，更不能跟在军事强国后面购买装备、模仿制造，必须根据我国具体国情、军情，自立自强，自主开发国防和军队的现代装备。习近平强军思想，运用马克思主义世界观和方法论分析当代中国国防和军队建设问题，坚持我们党一以贯之的建军治军根本方略，充分吸纳中华优秀传统军事文化精华和世界军事发展优秀成果，深刻阐明了党在新时代的强军目标和军队的使命任务、建设布局、战略指导、必由之路、强大动力、治军方式、发展路径等重大理论问题，实现了马克思主义军事理论中国化时代化，始终坚持从具体实际出发，以做好自己的事情为着眼点，指引推进我国国防和军队现代化建设。

Second, promoting self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, especially military science and technology. At present, changes unseen in a century are accelerating across the world, a new round of technological revolution and industrial revolution is unfolding, the new military revolution is accelerating, the forms of war and methods of warfare are undergoing profound changes, and the factors affecting victory or defeat in war are becoming more complex and diverse. Against this backdrop of the times, it is even more necessary to adhere to the strategy of revitalizing the military through science and technology, place the innovation of defense science and technology in a more prominent position, seek combat effectiveness from scientific and technological innovation, and make science and technology the most active and most revolutionary factor in national defense and military modernization. The practice of China’s national defense and military modernization shows that without independent scientific and technological innovation, one will be controlled by others, and national modernization will lack solid support; only by adhering to independence, self-reliance, and self-strengthening, creating our own defense science and technology and our own unique advanced military weapons, can we grasp the initiative in national defense and military modernization and the practice of military struggle, and ensure that the people’s army remains forever invincible.

第二，推进科技尤其是军事科技自立自强。当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，新一轮科技革命和产业革命方兴未艾，新军事革命加速推进，战争形态和作战方式正发生深刻改变，影响战争胜负的因素更加复杂多样。在这样的时代背景下，更要坚持科技兴军战略，把国防科技创新摆在更加突出位置，向科技创新要战斗力，使科学技术成为国防和军队现代化最活跃、最具革命性因素。中国国防和军队现代化建设实践表明：没有独立自主的科学技术创新，就会受制于人，国家现代化就会缺乏坚实支撑；只有坚持独立自主、自立自强，创造属于自己的国防科学技术、属于自己独有的军事先进武器，才能够掌握国防和军队现代化建设与军事斗争实践的主动权，才能确保人民军队永远立于不败之地。

Third, correctly handling the relationship between independent innovation and absorbing advanced experience. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, Xi Jinping, centering on how to build a new type of people’s military that “dares to fight and can win battles,” has utilized the theoretical achievements and practical experience formed by our Party in the long-term process of revolution and construction to promote national defense and military modernization, combined with the characteristics of the times in the development of science and technology and key technologies in the current era, and has effectively promoted the historical process of national defense and military modernization.

第三，正确处理自主创新与吸收先进经验的关系。党的十八大以来，习近平围绕如何建设“敢打仗、打胜仗”的新型人民军队，运用我们党在长期革命和建设实践中形成的推动国防和军队现代化的理论成果和实践经验，结合当今时代科学技术发展的时代特征与关键技术，有力推动了国防和军队现代化建设的历史进程。

(5) Emphasizing scientific advancement, continuously enhancing the quality and efficiency of national defense and military modernization

（五）强调科学推进，不断增强国防和军队现代化质量效益

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, our Party has placed greater emphasis on promoting the coordinated development of national defense and military modernization. Based on “winning informationized local wars characterized by intelligentization,” Xi Jinping has

党的十八大以来，我们党更加强调推进国防和军队现代化协调发展，立足“打赢以智能化为特征的信息化局部战争”，习近平明确要求，要“巩固提高一体化国家战略体系和能力。加强军地战略规划统筹、政策制度衔接、资源要素共享。优化国防科技工业体系和布局，加强国防科技工业能力建设”“巩固发展军政军民团结”。正是坚持走出了一条中国特色军民融合路子，促进了经济建设和国防建设协调发展、平衡发展、兼容发展，保证了国防和军队现代化建设高质量发展。

First, it emphasizes the integrated development of national defense and military modernization. A very important issue in advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is to make national defense construction compatible with the national development strategy, so that national defense construction develops in a coordinated manner within the overall national development strategy. At a plenary meeting of the PLA delegation to the Third Session of the 12th National People's Congress, Xi Jinping gave important instructions on thoroughly implementing the military-civilian integration development strategy, creatively proposing to elevate military-civilian integration development to a national strategy. [6]6 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017, where Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the Party Constitution and a strategic plan for national defense and military modernization was outlined. The 19th National Congress of the CPC pointed out: "Uphold the unity of enriching the country and strengthening the military, strengthen unified leadership, top-level design, reform and innovation, and the implementation of major projects, deepen the reform of the defense science, technology, and industry system, form a pattern of deep development of military-civilian integration, and build an integrated national strategic system and capability." This is a major strategic consideration for the modernization of national defense and the armed forces put forward by the CPC in the New Era based on the world military situation, the national development situation, the overall security threats, and the actual situation of military construction. It is an important strategic arrangement for the coordinated development of economic construction and national defense construction, providing a strategic plan for solving the problems existing in the military-civilian integration aspect of national defense and military modernization.

第一，强调国防和军队现代化融合发展。推进国防和军队现代化建设，很重要的一个问题是使国防建设与国家发展战略相适应，国防建设在国家整体发展战略中协调发展。习近平在十二届全国人大三次会议解放军代表团全体会议上，对深入实施军民融合发展战略做出重要指示，创造性提出把军民融合发展上升为国家战略。党的十九大指出：“坚持富国和强军相统一，强化统一领导、顶层设计、改革创新和重大项目落实，深化国防科技工业改革，形成军民融合深度发展格局，构建一体化的国家战略体系和能力。”这是新时代中国共产党从世界军事局势、国家发展形势、安全威胁全局和军队建设实际出发，提出的国防和军队现代化重大战略考量，对经济建设和国防建设协调发展的重要战略安排，为解决国防和军队现代化在军民融合方面存在的问题提供了战略方案。

Second, it emphasizes high-quality development of national defense and military modernization. In 2015, at the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, Xi Jinping announced that China would reduce the

第二，强调国防和军队现代化高质量发展。2015年在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利70周年大会上，习近平宣布：中国将裁减军队员额30万。这次军改主要是将军委总部体制调整为军委多部门制，由原来的4总部改为15个职能部门；重新调整划设战区，将七大军区调整为东西南北中五大战区；成立陆军领导机构、火箭军、战略支援部队；调整优化军队结构，陆军18个集团军调整为13个，旅营体制成为作战基本模块，进一步充实军兵种作战力量；建立健全中国特色社会主义军事政策制度体系；人民解放军总员额保证在200万人。这轮国防和军队改革，建立军委管总、战区主战、军种主建的新格局，实现了人民军队组织形态的整体重塑，国防和军队现代化水平大幅度提升。

Third, it emphasizes the coordinated development of national defense and military modernization. Only by adhering to strategic coordination, scientific guidance, and breakthroughs in key areas can overall progress be promoted. The 19th National Congress of the CPC[6]6 The 19th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2017, where Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era was enshrined in the Party Constitution and a strategic plan for national defense and military modernization was outlined. made a strategic plan for national defense and military modernization, which has three prominent features: First, it aligns with the national modernization development strategy, coordinating military construction with economic construction, fully reflecting the law of development that unifies a strong military with a strong nation. Second, based on the new achievements in the development of national defense and military modernization, it advances the goal of basic modernization to 2035. Third, it positions the goal of national defense and military modernization by the middle of this century as "comprehensively building a world-class military," bringing China's national defense and military modernization in line with the modernization of the world's militaries. Both the report of the 19th National Congress of the CPC and the report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC[7]7 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022, which further elaborated on the goals and tasks for national defense and military modernization in the New Era. have proposed the construction goals and content of national defense and military modernization, specifically reflected in comprehensively advancing the modernization of military theory, the modernization of military organizational forms, the modernization of military personnel, and the modernization of weaponry and equipment. "Comprehensively building a world-class military" is the strategic goal to be achieved by the middle of this century for national defense and military modernization, among other things. Determining the strategic goals of national defense and military modernization is the primary link in strategic planning and strategic decision-making. It must be based on the world's scientific and technological development trends, the national development strategy, the national security strategy, and the military strategic guidelines, unifying the present with the long term, needs with capabilities, goals with means, and planning with action, acting proactively and advancing steadily.

第三，强调国防和军队现代化统筹发展。坚持战略统筹、科学指导、重点突破，才能推动整体发展。党的十九大对国防和军队现代化须做出战略安排，具有三个突出特点：一是与国家现代化发展战略相适应，军队建设与经济建设相协调，充分体现了强军与强国相统一的发展规律。二是根据国防和军队现代化发展的新成果，把基本实现现代化的目标提前到2035年。三是把本世纪中叶国防和军队现代化的目标定位为“全面建成世界一流军队”，使中国国防和军队现代化与世界军队现代化接轨。党的十九大报告、党的二十大报告都提出了国防和军队现代化的建设目标和内容，具体体现在全面推进军事理论现代化、军队组织形态现代化、军事人员现代化、武器装备现代化、“全面建成世界一流军队”是国防和军队现代化到本世纪中叶实现的战略目标，等等。确定国防和军队现代化建设的战略目标是战略筹划与战略决策的首要环节，必须以世界科技发展趋势、国家发展战略、国家安全战略、军事战略方针为依据，把当前与长远统一起来，把需求与能力统一起来，把目标与手段统一起来，把规划与行动统一起来，积极作为、稳步推进。

III. Comprehensively Understanding the Grand Blueprint of National Defense and Military Modernization in Response to the Demands of the Times

三、顺应时代要求，全面领悟国防和军队现代化的宏阔擘画

A state cannot stand without defense, and the people cannot live securely without soldiers. National defense is an important guarantee for the survival and development of a country. Faced with the complex and volatile international situation and the severe surrounding environment today, amid fierce economic competition and political and military struggles, for our country to gain the initiative and remain invincible, it must have strong national defense strength as a safeguard. Xi Jinping pointed out at the ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army: "Our national defense is the defense of the entire people; advancing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is the common cause of the entire Party and the entire people." On the new journey of the New Era, Xi Jinping's earnest entrustment is

国无防不立，民无兵不安。国防是国家生存发展的重要保证。面临当今纷繁复杂的国际形势和严峻的周边环境，在激烈的经济竞争和政治、军事斗争中，我国要取得主动，立于不败之地，必须要有强大的国防实力作保障。习近平在庆祝中国人民解放军建军90周年大会上指出：“我们的国防是全民的国防，推进国防和军队现代化是全党全国人民的共同事业。”新时代新征程上，习近平的殷切嘱托如同灯塔，指引着我们的前进方向。新时代新征程上，我们必须全面坚持贯彻习近平强军思想，贯彻新时代军事战略方针，坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导，坚持走中国特色强军之路，全面推进政治建军、改革强军、科技强军、人才强军、依法治军，把人民军队建设成为世界一流军队，以更强大的能力、更可靠的手段捍卫国家主权、安全、发展利益。党的二十届三中全会指出，国防和军队现代化是中国式现代化的重要组成部分；同时还提出，必须坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导，深入实施改革强军战略，为如期实现建军一百年奋斗目标、基本实现国防和军队现代化提供有力保障。推动国防和军队现代化在认识上不断深入、战略上不断完善、实践上不断丰富，对于跑出新时代奋斗强军加速度，打好实现建军一百年目标攻坚战有着重要意义。

(I) National defense and military modernization is an important foundation for maintaining national security and stability

（一）国防和军队现代化是维护国家安全稳定的重要基础

During the period of the 13th Five-Year Plan [8]8 The 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) is the national economic and social development plan for that period., China became the world's second-largest economy, with its economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and comprehensive national power reaching new heights. However, due to the influence of multiple factors, China's national defense strength still does not match its economic development, nor does it meet the requirements of its international status and security strategy needs. At present, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, with multiple factors interwoven and overlapping. The international situation is complex and volatile, the domestic tasks of reform, development, and maintaining stability are arduous and heavy, and the uncertainty and instability of the security situation are increasing. To match national defense strength with economic strength, enhance the strategic capability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military has become an inevitable choice. In today's world, a new round of technological revolution and military revolution is developing rapidly. The trends toward precision, intelligence, stealth, and unmanned systems in weaponry and equipment are becoming more pronounced. The form of warfare is accelerating its evolution toward informatization, with intelligent warfare beginning to emerge. Integrated joint operations based on networked information systems, characterized mainly by "information dominance, system support, elite troops, and joint victory," have become the basic operational paradigm. Major countries around the world are adjusting their security strategies, military strategies, and military organizational forms, developing new types of combat forces, and seizing the strategic high ground in military competition. Only by accelerating the pace of national defense and military modernization can we gain the initiative in fierce international military competition. Based on this, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC [9]9 The Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC was held in October 2020. made strategic arrangements for accelerating national defense and military modernization, clearly proposing to "ensure the achievement of the centenary goal of building the people's military by 2027." This is a major strategic design by the Party Central Committee, coordinating the "two overall situations" [10]10 "Two overall situations" refers to the overall situation of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the overall situation of changes unseen in a century. and centering on realizing the Party's goal of strengthening the military in the New Era, providing strategic guidance for achieving the phased objectives and tasks of national defense and military modernization. Judging from the change in phrasing from "comprehensively advancing" and "continuously advancing" to "accelerating advancement," the urgency of national defense and military modernization is becoming more prominent, requiring further improvement in quality and speed. The current and future period is a critical time for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese-path modernization. Advancing Chinese-path modernization is an unprecedented pioneering undertaking, which will inevitably encounter various predictable and unpredictable risks, challenges, difficulties, and obstacles. Military means are an important guarantee for realizing the great dream, military struggle is a crucial aspect of carrying out the great struggle, and "winning capability" is the strategic capability to safeguard national security. We must keep pace with the trends in world military development, grasp the national security strategic needs of the New Era, and vigorously promote the modernization of national defense and the military.

“十三五”时期，我国已成为世界第二大经济体，经济实力、科技实力、综合国力跃上新台阶，但受多种因素影响，我国国防实力与经济发展还不匹配，与我国国际地位和安全战略需求还不适应。当前，百年未有之大变局加速演进，多种因素交织叠加，国际形势错综复杂、国内改革发展稳定任务艰巨繁重，安全形势不确定性、不稳定性增大。要想使国防实力与经济实力相匹配，提高捍卫国家主权、安全、发展利益的战略能力，加快国防和军队现代化建设就成为必然选择。当今世界，新一轮科技革命和军事革命发展迅猛，武器装备精确化、智能化、隐身化、无人化趋势更加明显，战争形态加速向信息化演变，智能化战争初见端倪。以“信息主导、体系支撑、精兵作战、联合制胜”为主要特征，基于网络信息体系的一体化联合作战成为基本作战样式。世界各主要国家纷纷调整安全战略、军事战略及军队组织形态，发展新型作战力量，抢占军事竞争战略制高点。只有加快国防和军队现代化步伐，才能在激烈的国际军事竞争中赢得主动。基于此，党的十九届五中全会对加快国防和军队现代化作出战略部署，鲜明提出“确保二〇二七年实现建军百年奋斗目标”。这是党中央统筹“两个大局”，围绕实现党在新时代的强军目标，对国防和军队现代化作出的重大战略设计，为实现国防和军队现代化阶段性目标任务提供了战略引领。从“全面推进”“接续推进”到“加快推进”的表述变化来看，国防和军队现代化建设紧迫性越发凸显，需要进一步提质增速。当前和今后一个时期，是以中国式现代化全面推进强国建设、民族复兴伟业的关键时期。推进中国式现代化，是一项前无古人的开创性事业，必然会遇到各种可以预料和难以预料的风险挑战、艰难险阻。军事手段是实现伟大梦想的重要保障，军事斗争是进行伟大斗争的重要方面，“打赢能力”是维护国家安全的战略能力。我们必须紧跟世界军事发展潮流，把握新时代国家安全战略需求，大力推进国防和军队现代化。

(II) National defense and military modernization is an inevitable requirement for accelerating national defense scientific and technological innovation

（二）国防和军队现代化是加快国防科技创新的必然要求

Xi Jinping pointed out that we must keep pace with the process of building a strong country in science and technology, optimize the layout and environmental conditions for national defense innovation, make good use of and fully leverage the advantages and resources of all parties, and significantly enhance the capability and level of national defense scientific and technological innovation. This important exposition points the way forward and provides fundamental guidance for accelerating national defense scientific and technological innovation, achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology, and transforming innovation achievements into tangible combat effectiveness. Science and technology are the most active and revolutionary factors in military development. Every major scientific and technological progress and innovation causes profound changes in the form of warfare and methods of combat. In future wars, military games between major powers will increasingly manifest as technological subversion and counter-subversion, surprise attack and counter-surprise attack, and offset and counter-offset. Science and technology have become a direct core combat capability. For the military to gain the initiative in military competition and warfare on the future battlefield, it must insist on seeking combat effectiveness from scientific and technological innovation, relying on scientific and technological progress to promote the modernization of national defense and the military. Self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology are the foundation of national prosperity and the key to security. Currently, facing the complex and volatile international situation and the new round of technological and industrial revolutions, military reform continues to be deeply advanced. Strengthening the military and rejuvenating the armed forces have reached a new historical position. We must uphold the concept that "reform is always ongoing, never complete," insist that reform is always on the road, further consolidate and expand existing achievements, and open up new prospects for the modernization of national defense and the military. Adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the people's military, continuously deepen the reform of national defense and the military, improve the leadership and management system and mechanism of the people's military, deepen the reform of the joint operations system, and deepen cross-military-civilian reform. The modernization of national defense and the military is continuously advanced in the course of reform and opening up, and it will surely open up broad prospects through reform and opening up.

习近平指出，要紧跟科技强国建设进程，优化国防创新布局和环境条件，用好用足各方面优势力量和资源，大幅提升国防科技创新能力和水平。这一重要论述，为加快推进国防科技创新、实现科技自立自强，推动创新成果转化为实实在在的战斗力，指明了前进方向、提供了根本遵循。科学技术是军事发展中最活跃、最具革命性的因素，每一次重大科技进步和创新都会引起战争形态和作战方式的深刻变革。在未来战争中，大国军事博弈越来越表现为技术上的颠覆与反颠覆、突袭与反突袭、抵消与反抵消，科技已成为直接的核心战斗力。军队要在未来战场上赢得军事竞争和战争主动权，就必须坚持向科技创新要战斗力。依靠科技进步推动国防和军队现代化建设。科技自立自强是国家强盛之基、安全之要。当前，面对纷繁复杂的国际形势，面对新一轮科技革命和产业革命，军队改革持续深入推进，强军兴军站上新的历史位势，必须秉持“改革只有进行时，没有完成时”的理念，坚持改革永远在路上，进一步巩固拓展既有成果，开创国防和军队现代化建设新局面。坚持党对人民军队的绝对领导，持续深化国防和军队改革，完善人民军队领导管理体制机制，深化联合作战体系改革，深化跨军地改革。国防和军队现代化建设在改革开放中不断推进，也必将在改革开放中开辟广阔前景。

Achieving a high level of self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology is the key to Chinese-path modernization. Science and technology have never before had such a profound impact on national security and the overall military strategy as they do today, nor have they ever had such a profound impact on the development of China's national defense and military modernization. Science and technology have been widely permeated into all elements of combat effectiveness. Science and technology are the core combat effectiveness and also the primary driving force for the modernization of national defense and the military. Accelerating national defense scientific and technological innovation is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively advancing the modernization of national defense and the military. We must continue to do a good job in this major article of scientific and technological innovation, actively adapt to changes in technology, warfare, and adversaries, accelerate the integrated development of mechanization, informatization, and intelligence, systematically advance the construction of new domains and new quality combat capabilities, vigorously cultivate new growth poles for advanced combat effectiveness, and stride forward in the great cause of building an innovative people's military.

实现高水平科技自立自强，是中国式现代化建设的关键。科技从来没有像今天这样深刻影响国家安全和军事战略全局，也从来没有像今天这样深刻影响我国国防和军队现代化建设发展。科学技术已广泛渗透于战斗力的诸要素，科学技术是核心战斗力，也是国防和军队现代化建设的第一推动力。加快国防科技创新是全面推进国防和军队现代化建设的必然要求，必须继续做好科技创新这篇大文章，积极适应科技之变、战争之变、对手之变，加速推动机械化、信息化、智能化融合发展，成体系推进新域、新质作战能力建设，大力打造先进战斗力新的增长极，把建设创新型人民军队的伟大事业大踏步推向前进。

(III) National defense and military modernization is an important aspect of advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity

（三）国防和军队现代化是推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的重要方面

Military governance is an important component of the state governance led by our Party, and a logical extension and practical embodiment of state governance in the military domain. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC [1]1 The 20th National Congress of the CPC: The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in October 2022, which set the Party's goals for the next five years and beyond. introduced for the first time in the military domain the entirely new proposition and scientific thesis of “military governance,” which carries significant theoretical innovation and practical guidance. To accurately grasp this new thesis and new requirements, it is necessary both to clarify theoretically the connotation and essence of military governance and to comprehensively carry out in practice all tasks for strengthening military governance, thereby continuously elevating our Party’s level of army building and army governance to new heights. In recent years, the modernization level and actual combat capability of our country’s military have improved markedly. However, from the perspective of promoting high-quality development of the military, there remain some deep-seated and stubborn problems in the military domain that urgently need to be governed and eradicated using scientific concepts and methods. Implementing the deployment of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, military governance in the next five years must identify key leverage points and strive to promote the modernization of national defense and the military through high-level military governance. Army building is a complex system; the overall, complex, and interconnected nature of military system operations is increasingly high. Comprehensively strengthening military governance in the New Era is a profound transformation in our Party’s concepts and methods of army building and army governance, a strategic requirement for accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military, and an important aspect of advancing the modernization of the state governance system and governance capacity. It is necessary to deepen law-based governance of the military and strict governance of the military, accelerate the construction of a military rule-of-law system with Chinese characteristics, and promote a fundamental transformation in the methods of army governance. It is necessary to strengthen top-level design, firmly grasp the new system and new requirements, accelerate a military management revolution centered on efficiency and oriented toward precision, carry out overall coordination, systematic construction, and systemic governance, and effectively solve problems in development through reform and innovation, striving to build a modern military governance system and promote the modernization of national defense and the military.

军事治理是我们党领导开展国家治理的重要内容，是国家治理在军事领域的逻辑延伸和实践体现。党的二十大报告首次在军事领域提出“军事治理”的全新命题和科学论断，具有重要的理论创新意义和实践指导意义。准确把握这一新论断新要求，既要在理论上搞清军事治理的内涵实质，又要在实践中全面做好加强军事治理的各项工作，推动我们党建军治军水平不断实现新跃升。这些年，我国军队现代化水平和实战能力显著提升，但从推进军队高质量发展看，军事领域依然存在一些顽瘴痼疾，亟须运用科学的理念方式进行治理和根除。贯彻党的二十大部署，未来五年的军事治理必须找准关键抓手，着力以高水平军事治理推动国防和军队现代化建设发展。军队建设是一个复杂系统，军事系统运行的整体性、复杂性、联动性越来越高。新时代全面加强军事治理，是我们党建军治军理念和方式的一场深刻变革，是加快国防和军队现代化的战略要求，是推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的重要方面。必须深入推进依法治军、从严治军，加快构建中国特色军事法治体系，推动治军方式根本转变。必须加强顶层设计，紧紧把握新体制、新要求，加快推进以效能为核心，以精准为导向的军事管理革命，全局统筹、系统抓建、体系治理，切实以改革创新的思路办法解决发展中的问题，着力构建现代军事治理体系，推动国防和军队现代化建设发展。

(IV) The modernization of national defense and the military is a practical requirement for comprehensively advancing Chinese-path modernization.

（四）国防和军队现代化是全面推进中国式现代化的现实要求

The Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, focusing on realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and centering on realizing the Party’s goal of strengthening the military in the New Era, has made a series of strategic plans and deployments for accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military, leading the entire military to open up a new situation in the cause of strengthening the military and leading the modernization of the people’s military to stride forward amid the magnificent practice of strengthening the military. At this major historical moment of marching toward the goal of comprehensively building a modern socialist country, Xi Jinping once again clearly put forward the strategic mobilization to accelerate the modernization of national defense and the military, which carries more profound political implications and longer-term strategic considerations. Only by deeply understanding and accurately grasping the great significance, rich connotation, and strategic deployment of accelerating the modernization of national defense and the military, forging the soul of strengthening the military, focusing on the essence of strengthening the military, and consolidating the foundation of strengthening the military, can we forge excellent capabilities and faithfully fulfill the sacred mission of escorting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. On October 24, 2022, when attending a meeting of military leading cadres, Xi Jinping emphasized that in studying and implementing the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, our military must focus its focus and efforts on realizing the goal of building the military by the centenary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army [2]2 The 18th National Congress of the CPC: The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, held in November 2012, which marked the beginning of the Xi Jinping era.; this is the central task of our military’s construction in the next five years, and it must be accomplished with full effort and within the set timeframe. On the new journey, we must accurately grasp the historical orientation and stage-specific characteristics of strengthening the country and the military, seize the momentum, continue our struggle, and unswervingly advance the modernization of national defense and the military. The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC proposed “consolidating and improving the integrated national strategic system and capability,” further deepening our understanding of the law of the unity of enriching the country and strengthening the military, and highlighting the Party Central Committee’s grand strategy of governing and rejuvenating the country by integrating the Chinese Dream and the dream of strengthening the military and promoting the simultaneous enhancement of economic strength and national defense strength. This requires us to further improve strategic planning, insist on strengthening military-civilian integrated coordination from the top-level design, ensure that relevant state departments fully consider military needs when formulating strategies and compiling plans, and that military development strategies and construction plans should better implement the overall state deployment; further optimize the layout of the defense-related science, technology, and industry, continuously promote the reform of the defense-related science, technology, and industry system, continuously stimulate the vitality of the military product market, and resolutely break down various institutional barriers that lead to military-civilian separation; further improve the national defense mobilization system, build a new pattern of national defense mobilization, strengthen national defense education for the whole people, so that caring for national defense, loving national defense, building national defense, and defending national defense become a common ideological consensus and conscious action of the whole society; further strengthen the construction of modern border, coastal, and air defense, solidly carry out various tasks of political border stabilization, enriching the people and revitalizing the border areas, and military border strengthening, vigorously integrate the national border and coastal defense forces, border and coastal defense reserve forces, and border defense mass teams, and build a strong border and coastal defense control force system; further consolidate and develop military-government and military-civilian unity, the military must consciously obey and serve the overall work of the Party and the state, and actively support local economic and social construction. Local governments at all levels must also enthusiastically help officers and soldiers solve difficulties and actively participate in supporting the modernization of national defense and the military. Forging ahead on the new journey and making contributions in the New Era, the people’s military will unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, fully implement Xi Jinping’s thinking on strengthening the military

以习近平同志为核心的党中央着眼实现中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦，围绕实现党在新时代的强军目标，就加快国防和军队现代化作出一系列战略谋划和部署，引领全军开创强军事业新局面，引领人民军队现代化在波澜壮阔的强军实践中大步迈进。在向着全面建成社会主义现代化强国目标迈进的重大历史时刻，习近平再次鲜明提出加快推进国防和军队现代化的战略动员，有着更为深刻的政治意蕴和更为长远的战略考量。只有深刻理解、准确把握加快推进国防和军队现代化的重大意义、丰富内涵、战略部署，铸牢强军之魂，聚焦强军之要，夯实强军之基，才能锻造过硬本领，忠实履行好为中华民族伟大复兴保驾护航的神圣任命。2022年10月24日，习近平出席军队领导干部会议时强调，我军学习宣传贯彻党的二十大精神，要把聚焦点和着力点放在实现建军一百年奋斗目标上，这是未来5年我军建设的中心任务，必须全力以赴，务期必成。新征程上，我们必须准确把握强国强军的历史方位和阶段性特征，乘势而上、接续奋斗，坚定不移把国防和军队现代化推向前进。党的二十大报告提出“巩固提高一体化国家战略体系和能力”，进一步深化了我们对富国和强军相统一的规律性认识，彰显了党中央把中国梦和强军梦融为一体、促进经济实力和国防实力同步提升的执政兴国大方略。这要求我们进一步做好战略筹划，坚持从顶层设计上加强军民一体统筹，做到国家有关部门在制定战略、编制规划时充分考虑军事需求，军队发展战略和建设规划更应贯彻落实国家总体部署；进一步优化国防科技工业布局，不断推进国防科技工业体制改革，不断激发军品市场活力，坚决破除导致军地分离的各种制度藩篱；进一步完善国防动员体系，构建国防动员新格局，加强全民国防教育，使关心国防、热爱国防、建设国防、保卫国防成为全社会的思想共识和自觉行动；进一步加强现代边海空防建设，扎实做好政治安边、富民兴边、军事强边各项工作，大力整合国家边海防力量、边海防后备力量、戍边群众队伍，构建强大的边海防防卫管控力量体系；进一步巩固发展军政军民团结，军队要自觉服从服务于党和国家工作大局，积极支援地方经济社会建设。地方各级也要满腔热情为广大官兵排忧解难，积极参与支持国防和军队现代化建设。奋进新征程，建功新时代，人民军队将更加紧密地团结在以习近平同志为核心的党中央周围，坚持以习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想为指导，全面贯彻习近平强军思想，加快推进国防和军队现代化。

Xi Jinping emphasized at the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC: "To learn from history and create the future, we must accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces." The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC proposed that the modernization of national defense and the armed forces is an important component of Chinese-path modernization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, with unprecedented determination and intensity, has led the most extensive and profound reform of national defense and the armed forces since the founding of New China, deeply resolving institutional obstacles, structural contradictions, and policy issues that have long constrained national defense and military construction. The people's armed forces have achieved a new system, a new structure, a new pattern, and a new appearance, providing a strong guarantee for accelerating the modernization of national defense and the armed forces. At present, changes unseen in a century in the world are accelerating, a new round of technological revolution and military revolution is developing rapidly, and our military's construction is in the sprint stage to achieve the centenary goal of military building. To grasp the new situation, new tasks, and new requirements, only by unswervingly promoting further comprehensive deepening of reform and focusing on solving the deep-seated contradictions that constrain the improvement of combat readiness and warfighting capabilities in the New Era can we promote high-quality development of national defense and military construction, strive to achieve the centenary goal of military building, and accelerate the building of the people's armed forces into world-class forces.

习近平在庆祝中国共产党成立100周年大会上强调：“以史为鉴、开创未来，必须加快国防和军队现代化。”党的二十届三中全会提出，国防和军队现代化是中国式现代化的重要组成部分。党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央以前所未有的决心和力度，领导开展新中国成立以来最为广泛、深刻的国防和军队改革，深入破解长期制约国防和军队建设的体制性障碍、结构性矛盾、政策性问题，人民军队体制一新、结构一新、格局一新、面貌一新，为加快推进国防和军队现代化提供了有力保障。当前，世界百年未有之大变局加速演进，新一轮科技革命和军事革命迅猛发展，我军建设正处于实现建军一百年奋斗目标的冲刺阶段。把握新形势新任务新要求，只有坚定不移推进进一步全面深化改革，着力破解制约新时代备战打仗能力提升的深层次矛盾，才能推动国防和军队建设高质量发展，奋力实现建军一百年奋斗目标，加快把人民军队建成世界一流军队。

Author's bio: Zhang Shude, Chief Expert of the Academy of Military Sciences, Researcher at the Institute of Military Political Work, Vice President of the China Society for the Study of Marx and Engels.

作者简介：张树德，军事科学院首席专家，军队政治工作研究院研究员，中国马克思恩格斯研究会副会长。