China Launches 2026 National Defense Education Campaign Across 12 Agencies

Twelve Chinese central departments, led by the CCP Central Propaganda Department, have issued a directive launching the nationwide 2026 National Defense Education Month for September. Centered on the theme of carrying forward the Long March spirit to strengthen national defense, the campaign directs local authorities to integrate Xi Jinping's military thought into grassroots activities, student military training, military camp open days, and multimedia outreach, while explicitly cautioning against overburdening local officials.

National defense education serves as a core ideological foundation for China's civil-military integration and broader military modernization goals. By mobilizing twelve central departments, Beijing is reinforcing institutional mechanisms to normalize defense awareness, foster patriotic sentiment among youth, and align societal support with the People's Liberation Army's strategic requirements.

Twelve central Chinese government departments, including the Publicity Department of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, have jointly issued a notice mandating the nationwide rollout of the 2026 "National Defense Education Month" throughout September, according to reports published by Xinhua and People's Daily. The annual campaign is organized around the theme of "Carrying forward the great Long March spirit and jointly building a strong national defense." The circular instructs local authorities and relevant agencies to ground their efforts in Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, with particular emphasis on implementing Xi's instructions on national defense education and military development. According to the directive, studying and propagating Xi Jinping's thinking on strengthening the military represents the foremost priority of the campaign. Authorities are instructed to carry out systematic theoretical study and public education while linking defense messaging with historical Party traditions, including the Great Founding Spirit of the CCP and the Long March spirit. The notice outlines several operational requirements for the month-long initiative. Local jurisdictions are expected to publicize exemplary figures and case studies from the defense and military sectors to establish social benchmarks. In the educational sphere, agencies must organize student military training and expand public open-day programs at military installations to broaden experiential engagement. In addition, the circular calls for leveraging digital media platforms to release coordinated multimedia products supporting defense awareness. Authorities emphasized that events must be practical, oriented toward the grassroots level, and tailored to local conditions. The notice explicitly instructs implementing bodies to adhere strictly to the central government's anti-extravagance guidelines (the Eight-point Decision), avoid imposing unnecessary administrative burdens on grassroots cadres, and ensure overall safety and order throughout all public activities.