Fully Unleash the Guiding Role of Military Theory Modernization

Recently, President Xi Jinping issued important instructions at the Military

近日，习近平主席对全军军事理论工作会议作出重要指示，强调军事理论现代化是国防和军队现代化重要组成部分，在强军事业发展中具有重要先导作用。习主席的重要指示，明确了军事理论现代化在强军事业全局中的重要地位，是全面加强新时代新征程军事理论创新的重要遵循。我们要深入学习贯彻习主席重要指示精神，深刻认识加快军事理论现代化的使命责任，全面加强新时代新征程军事理论工作，与时俱进创新战争理论和战略指导，健全新时代军事战略体系，发展先进作战理论和军队建设思想，构建支撑和引领实现建军一百年奋斗目标、建成世界一流军队的中国特色现代军事理论体系。

Guiding the All-Round Development of Military Practice

引领军事实践全方位发展

“Just as water has no constant shape, warfare has no fixed pattern.” [1]1 The "four modernizations" of national defense and the military refer to the modernization of military theory, military organizational forms, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment. The military domain is one of rapid change and constant need for innovation. Military theory constitutes the rational understanding and knowledge system concerning war, the armed forces, and national defense, and it is also the crystallized thought and wellspring of wisdom for military innovation. By revealing the laws of war, the laws for directing war, and the laws of military building, scientific military theory guides the building and application of military forces, exerts a profound influence on all elements of combat effectiveness, and leads the all-round development of military practice. Its theoretical guiding role is becoming increasingly prominent, making it the era’s protagonist in the fierce competition on the “silent” battlefield.

“兵无常势，水无常形。”军事领域是变化快速、需要创新的领域，军事理论是关于战争、军队和国防问题的理性认识和知识体系，也是军事创新的思想结晶和智慧之泉。科学的军事理论通过揭示战争规律、战争指导规律和军队建设规律，指导军事力量建设和运用，对战斗力诸要素产生深刻影响，引领军事实践全方位发展。其理论先导作用越来越突出，成为“寂静”战场上激烈角逐的时代主角。

In today’s world military domain, the network information system has become the core support, strategic high-tech clusters are bursting forth, the driving force of technological innovation on the military revolution is growing ever stronger, and the decisive factors and methods for winning wars are undergoing major changes. Combat forces in new domains and of new types are developing at an accelerated pace, becoming the much-anticipated “game changers.” The intelligent characteristics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine conflict are increasingly evident, with a large number of unmanned equipment deployed on the battlefield; “algorithmic warfare” empowers intelligence analysis and command decision-making; hybrid warfare, proxy warfare, and other forms are constantly being renovated and upgraded. Only by seizing the opportunity to vigorously promote military theory innovation can we lead our military to quickly seize the strategic high ground in military competition, secure victory in future wars, and achieve leapfrog development.

当今世界军事领域，网络信息体系成为核心支撑，战略高新技术群体迸发，科技创新对军事革命的驱动愈发强劲，战争制胜要素、制胜方式发生重大变化。新域新质作战力量加快发展，成为被寄予厚望的“游戏规则改变者”。俄乌冲突、巴以冲突中的智能化特征日益显现，大量无人装备投入战场，“算法战”赋能情报分析和指挥决策，混合战争、代理人战争等不断翻新升级。只有紧抓机遇大力推进军事理论创新，才能引领我军快速抢占军事竞争战略制高点、决胜未来战争、实现跨越式发展。

National defense and military building are the strong backing for national security, and the capability to win wars is the strategic capability to safeguard national security. Currently, changes unseen in a century are accelerating, the transformation of the international strategic landscape and the global governance system is constantly speeding up, and in particular, major-power games are becoming increasingly fierce. Hegemonism, power politics, and new interventionism are on the rise, local conflicts are continuous, and the world has entered a new period of turbulence and transformation. The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered a critical period, and national security is in a period of high risk and high pressure. We must be highly vigilant against “black swan” events while also constantly guarding against “gray rhino” problems. [2]2 The centenary goal of military building refers to the goal set by the CPC of basically completing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces by 2027, the centenary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army. Only by comprehensively strengthening military theory innovation can we efficiently forge the military sword, control the military as the last-resort means, resolve many difficulties in security and development, and effectively safeguard the fundamental interests of the nation and the people during this period of drastic change.

国防和军队建设是国家安全的坚强后盾，打赢能力是维护国家安全的战略能力。当前，百年未有之大变局加速演进，国际战略格局和全球治理体系变革不断加速，特别是大国博弈日益激烈，霸权主义、强权政治和新干涉主义有所上升，局部冲突不断，世界进入新的动荡变革期。中华民族伟大复兴进入关键时期，国家安全处于高风险期、高承压期，既要高度警惕“黑天鹅”事件，也要时刻防范“灰犀牛”问题。只有全面加强军事理论创新，才能高效锻造军事利剑，掌控军事这个保底手段，破解安全与发展中的诸多难点，在剧烈变革时期有效维护国家和民族根本利益。

A strong country must have a strong military; only with a strong military can the country be secure. Currently, achieving the centenary goal of the military [3]3 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party was a major meeting of the CPC Central Committee held in July 2024, focused on further deepening reform comprehensively. has entered a critical period. How to expand the achievements of military reform and building on the new journey, and how to tackle key difficulties efficiently, require scientific theoretical guidance. To build a world-class military, how to lead the future, break new ground, comprehensively enhance the hardware and software levels of the modern military system, and how to cultivate the thinking concepts, war-winning capabilities, and spiritual mettle of a first-class military, require outstanding theoretical infusion. Only by accelerating military theory innovation, deeply discerning the underlying laws of the great cause of strengthening the military, scientifically grasping the strategic linkage between the short, medium, and long terms, and forming world-class war theories, strategic guidance, and military thought, can we lead our military’s cause of strengthening the military to a high starting point leap and high-quality development in a sound and rapid manner.

强国必须强军，军强才能国安。当前，实现建军一百年奋斗目标进入攻坚期，如何拓展新征程军队改革建设成果，如何高效攻坚，需要科学理论指引；建设世界一流军队，如何引领未来、破局开新、全面提升现代军事体系软硬件水平，如何培育一流军队的思维理念、胜战能力和精神气魄，需要卓越理论灌注。只有加快推进军事理论创新，深刻洞悉强军大业深层规律，科学把握近期、中期、远期的战略衔接，形成世界一流的战争理论、战略指导和军事思想，才能又好又快地引领我军强军事业高起点跃升、高质量发展。

Seize the First Opportunity for Victory and Gain Strategic Initiative

抢占制胜先机 赢得战略主动

Scientific military theory is combat effectiveness. For any military, whoever takes the lead in military theory innovation may seize the first opportunity for victory and gain strategic initiative. On the new journey of the New Era, achieving the centenary goal of the military has entered a critical period, the modernization of national defense and the armed forces has entered a new stage, and the continued deepening of national defense and military reform faces new missions. The guiding role of military theory as the core military capability is becoming increasingly prominent. We must deeply understand the active role of military theory guidance, grasp the new changes and new demands of military practice on the new journey, vigorously promote military theory innovation, and fully unleash the guiding and driving role of military theory modernization for the great cause of strengthening the military.

科学的军事理论就是战斗力。对任何一支军队来说，谁在军事理论创新上先人一步，谁就可能抢占制胜先机、赢得战略主动。新时代新征程，实现建军一百年奋斗目标进入攻坚期，国防和军队现代化进入新阶段，持续深化国防和军队改革面临新使命，军事理论作为核心军事能力的先导作用愈发凸显。我们要深刻认识军事理论先导的能动作用，把握新征程军事实践新变化新需求，大力推进军事理论创新，充分发挥军事理论现代化对强军伟业的引领推动作用。

Military theory innovation directly serves war preparedness and war-fighting, directly affects the quality of military building, and directly determines the effectiveness of actual combat training

军事理论创新直接服务备战打仗，直接影响军队建设质量，直接决定实战练兵成效。习近平强军思想擘画了全面建成世界一流军队的正确方向和科学路径，突出强调军队能打胜仗这个核心职能，一贯坚持以战领建、以战领训，明确要求“仗怎么打、兵就怎么练”，为我军加快军事理论创新提供了行动指南。发挥军事理论现代化的先导作用，就要坚持把军事理论创新特别是战争理论和作战理论创新摆在重要位置，突出打仗急用、部队急盼的理论任务，深刻研析战争规律、战争指导规律和现代战争制胜机理，以科学的军事理论牵引国防和军队建设向备战打仗聚焦，以深刻的战争规律认知引领军事实践向实战要求贴近，不断提高军事理论对战斗力的直接贡献率。

Military theory modernization means comprehensively applying the outstanding achievements of the contemporary world in politics, military affairs, science and technology, education, management, culture, and other fields to innovate and deepen the understanding of systematic knowledge of the laws of war, military, and national defense construction, bringing it to the advanced level of the contemporary world. Military theory modernization occupies the first place among the "four modernizations" of national defense and the military, and plays an important leading role in the modernization of military organizational forms, military personnel, and weaponry and equipment, as well as in their development processes. We must adhere to the principle of theory taking precedence and leading the way, increase support for military theory innovation in areas such as policy formulation, force allocation, and resource guarantees, use the breakthrough of military theory to lead the scientific planning and efficient advancement of the other "three modernizations," and provide strong theoretical support for achieving the centenary goal of military building on schedule and building a world-class military.

军事理论现代化，就是综合运用当今世界政治、军事、科技、教育、管理和文化等各方面优秀成果，创新和深化对战争、军队和国防建设规律性体系化知识的认识，使之达到当代世界先进水平。军事理论现代化处于国防和军队“四个现代化”之首，对军队组织形态、军事人员和武器装备现代化发展及其过程起着重要引领作用。要坚持理论先行、先导推动，在政策制定、力量配备、资源保障等方面加大对军事理论创新的支持力度，以军事理论的率先突破引领其他“三化”科学筹划、高效推进，为如期实现建军一百年奋斗目标、建设世界一流军队提供有力理论支撑。

Deepening national defense and military reform is the only way to build a strong military and rejuvenate the armed forces, and it is a crucial move that determines the future of the military. Since the New Era, under the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee, the Central Military Commission, and Chairman Xi, our military has carried out the most extensive and profound national defense and military reform since the founding of New China. The people's military has been renewed in its systems, structure, pattern, and appearance. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Party sounded a strong clarion call for continuously deepening national defense and military reform. To advance the continuous deepening of national defense and military reform, we must insist on placing theoretical innovation in military reform first, deeply analyze the operational mechanisms of the new strong military system, the inherent laws of the new strong military pattern, and the objective pulse of new strong military challenges, coordinate development and security, economic construction and national defense construction, coordinate major tasks such as combat, construction, and readiness, solve major issues such as perfecting the leadership and management system and mechanisms of the people's military, deepening the reform of the joint operations system, and deepening cross-military-region reform, and give full play to the leading role of scientific theory in deepening reform.

深化国防和军队改革是强军兴军的必由之路，是决定军队未来的关键一招。新时代以来，在党中央、中央军委和习主席坚强领导下，我军开展了新中国成立以来最为广泛、最为深刻的国防和军队改革，人民军队体制一新、结构一新、格局一新、面貌一新。党的二十届三中全会吹响了持续深化国防和军队改革的强劲号角。推进持续深化国防和军队改革，就要坚持把军事改革的理论创新放在首位，深入研析强军新体制的运行机理、强军新格局的内在规律、强军新挑战的客观脉动，统筹发展和安全、经济建设和国防建设，统筹战建备等重大任务，破解完善人民军队领导管理体制机制、深化联合作战体系改革、深化跨军地改革等重大课题，充分发挥科学理论在深化改革中的先导作用。

Continuously Improve the Quality and Effectiveness of Military Theory Innovation

不断提升军事理论创新的质效

Military innovation should focus on adhering to the principles and requirements of persisting in the goal of building a strong military and actively leading, persisting in emancipating the mind and changing concepts, persisting in grasping key points and advancing comprehensively, and persisting in highlighting characteristics and independent innovation. Military science is the science of war. The modernization of military theory must not only grasp the general laws of military innovation but also conform to the special requirements of military theory, follow correct principles and methods, improve the quality and effectiveness of military theory innovation, and better play its leading role.

军事创新应该重点把握坚持强军目标、积极引领，坚持解放思想、转变观念，坚持抓住重点、整体推进，坚持突出特色、自主创新的原则要求。军事科学是关于战争的科学，军事理论现代化既要把握军事创新的一般规律，又要契合军事理论的特殊要求，遵循正确的原则方法，提高军事理论创新的质效，更好发挥其先导作用。

“All methods of warfare must be based on political victory.” [4] War is the continuation of politics by other means. No matter how its forms change, modern war remains a continuation of politics, and the subordination of military affairs to politics is still a fundamental law. Innovation in military theory must firmly grasp the political nature of war, plan and guide war closely around political objectives, firmly grasp political requirements in developing military theory, always place adherence to the Party’s absolute leadership over the military first, and ensure the correct direction of military theory innovation. Xi Jinping’s thought on strengthening the military is the latest achievement in the innovative development of the Party’s military guidance theory, deepening understanding of the laws of national defense and military building, the laws of military struggle preparation, and the laws of war guidance from a new perspective. To advance the modernization of military theory, it is necessary to thoroughly

“凡战法必本于政胜”。战争是政治通过另一种手段的继续。现代战争不管形态如何变化，都是政治的继续，军事服从政治仍然是基本规律。军事理论创新必须牢牢把握战争的政治属性，紧紧围绕政治目的筹划指导战争，牢牢把握政治要求发展军事理论，始终把坚持党对军队的绝对领导放在第一位，确保军事理论创新的正确方向。习近平强军思想是党的军事指导理论创新发展的最新成果，以全新视野深化了对国防和军队建设规律、军事斗争准备规律、战争指导规律的认识。推进军事理论现代化，就要深入贯彻习近平强军思想，贯彻新时代军事战略方针，用好当代中国马克思主义军事观方法论，坚持把马克思主义基本原理同人民军队建设实践相结合，汲取中华优秀传统军事文化精华，确保军事理论创新的正确方向。

Engels pointed out that when the technological wave is surging all around, what is most needed is a newer and braver mind. At present, the scientific and technological revolution, the industrial revolution, and the military revolution are advancing in tandem and interacting with each other, gestating new quality productive forces and new quality combat capabilities. The peak moment for the iterative innovation of military theory has arrived. Only by emancipating the mind, broadening the horizon, connecting history, reality, and the future, integrating the wisdom of ancient and modern times, China and foreign countries, and seizing the essence of the times with foresight, can first-class military theoretical achievements be produced. We must firmly focus on changes in science and technology, changes in warfare, and changes in adversaries, adhere to being oriented toward the battlefield, toward the troops, and toward the future, establish the concept of informationized and intelligent warfare, promote cross-disciplinary integrated research, write the great essay on military-civilian collaboration, encourage contention of views, spark a "brainstorm," and accelerate the construction of a military theory system with Chinese characteristics that is contemporary, leading, and unique.

恩格斯指出，当技术浪潮在四周汹涌澎湃的时候，最需要的是更新、更勇敢的头脑。当前，科技革命、产业革命、军事革命齐头迸发、相互激荡，孕育着新质生产力、新质战斗力，军事理论迭代创新的高峰时刻已然来临。只有解放思想，打开视野，贯通历史现实未来，融汇古今中外智慧，先机捕捉时代精华，才能产生一流军事理论成果。要坚持紧盯科技之变、战争之变、对手之变，坚持面向战场、面向部队、面向未来，树立信息化智能化战争理念，推进跨学科融合研究，写好军地协作这篇大文章，鼓励观点争鸣，掀起“头脑风暴”，加快构建具有时代性、引领性、独特性的中国特色军事理论体系。

President Xi pointed out that we must firmly grasp the issue of war and operations to promote innovation in military theory, build an advanced operational theory system with our military's characteristics that conforms to the laws of modern warfare, and continuously open up new realms for the development of contemporary Chinese Marxist military theory. Innovation in military theory must always grasp the principal contradiction, highlight research on war and operations, closely track the evolution of war forms, deeply grasp the pulse of the new military revolution, pay close attention to the military application of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum information, big data, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, closely grasp the trend of weaponry and equipment toward long-range precision, intelligence, stealth, and unmanned systems, deeply analyze and study the new characteristics of hybrid game warfare, accelerate research on new-domain and new-quality operational theories, and maintain the acumen and perception to apply the latest technology and adopt cutting-edge concepts. We must firmly grasp the major issues of war preparedness and construction under the new situation to carry out joint research, optimize the top-level design of military theory innovation, improve the research model of military theory, strengthen the transformation and application of military theory, and enhance the overall quality of the military theory system through breakthroughs in key areas.

习主席指出，要紧紧扭住战争和作战问题推进军事理论创新，构建具有我军特色、符合现代战争规律的先进作战理论体系，不断开辟当代中国马克思主义军事理论发展新境界。军事理论创新要始终抓住主要矛盾，突出战争和作战问题研究，紧盯战争形态演变，深入把握新军事变革脉搏，高度关注人工智能、量子信息、大数据、云计算、物联网等前沿科技的军事运用，密切把握武器装备远程精确化、智能化、隐身化、无人化趋势，深入研析混合博弈战争新特点，加快新域新质作战理论研究，保持运用最新科技、采用前沿理念的敏锐性和感知力。要紧紧扭住新形势下战建备重大问题开展联合攻关，优化军事理论创新顶层设计，改进军事理论研究模式，加强军事理论转化运用，通过重点突破提升军事理论体系的整体质量。

Without the modernization of methods and means, there can be no true modernization of theory. With the advancement of war practice, innovation in military theory is moving from the research room to the design room, undergoing a transformation from "post-war review" to "designing war." We must improve the organizational model of military theory innovation, establish a theoretical content system, build an organizational management system, strengthen the research force system, and perfect the policy and institutional system, using the scientization of organizational management to enhance the modernization of theory. We must boldly draw on the theoretical research mechanisms and model methods of internationally advanced enterprises and first-class think tanks, use big data, cloud computing, AI tools, etc., to advance the development of military theory concepts, use large-scale R&D systems such as operational laboratories and modern war games to advance the verification and validation of modern warfare methods and operational concepts, use methods such as operational net assessment and strategic management systems to improve R&D means, and use the modernization of methods and means to enhance the modernization level of military theory.

没有方法手段的现代化，就没有真正的理论现代化。随着战争实践的推进，军事理论创新正从研究室走向设计室，经历着从“战后复盘”向“设计战争”转变。要改进军事理论创新的组织模式，建立理论内容体系、构建组织管理体系、建强研究力量体系、完善政策制度体系，以组织管理的科学化提升理论的现代化。要大胆借鉴国际先进企业、一流智库的理论研究机制和模式方法，运用大数据、云计算、AI工具等推进军事理论概念开发，借助作战试验室、现代兵棋等大型研发系统推进现代战争战法和作战构想演练验证，运用作战净评估方法、战略管理系统等改进研发手段，以方法手段的现代化提升军事理论的现代化水平。

(Authors: Tang Junfeng and Peng Chunlin, respectively professor and lecturer at the National Security College of the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army)

（作者：汤俊峰、彭春淋，分别系国防大学国家安全学院教授、讲师）

Online editor: Huihui

网络编辑：慧慧