As the 2027 centenary goal for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) looms, Beijing is intensifying a quiet but significant internal campaign to redefine what success looks like for its military commanders. This initiative, centered on establishing a 'correct outlook on performance,' seeks to replace superficial bureaucratic achievements with tangible combat readiness and ideological absolute loyalty to the Communist Party.
The campaign represents a deepening of the 'political rectification' efforts that have defined the Xi Jinping era. By mandating that all levels of the military align their priorities with the Central Military Commission’s strategic vision, the leadership is signaling that 'formalism'—the practice of doing things for show rather than for substance—will no longer be tolerated in the ranks. This is not merely a moral crusade but a structural necessity as the PLA prepares for its next phase of modernization.
Central to this shift is the integration of these ideological standards into the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan. Military departments are being tasked with solving long-standing 'difficult and heavy' problems in defense construction, ensuring that planning and execution are synchronized with the realities of modern joint warfare. The emphasis has shifted from simply acquiring hardware to mastering the complexities of 'jointness' across different theater commands.
At the grassroots level, the campaign aims to bridge the gap between high-level theory and battlefield reality. Party organs within the military are being encouraged to solicit direct feedback from rank-and-file soldiers, ostensibly to eliminate the 'selfish desires' of officers who might be tempted to prioritize their own career advancement over the welfare and readiness of their units. This populist touch is designed to reinforce the 'purity' of the armed forces as they approach their 100-year milestone.