PLA 75th Group Army Uses Long March History for Political Education

Official Chinese military and state media have spotlighted a political education campaign within a Red Army brigade of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 75th Group Army. Drawing on Long March heritage—specifically the iconic 'half belt' story praised by Xi Jinping in 2016—the reporting demonstrates how the PLA leverages revolutionary narratives to instill strict discipline, counter ideological laxity, and reinforce absolute Party control amid ongoing political rectification efforts across grassroots units.

The campaign illustrates how the PLA connects revolutionary heritage to contemporary military governance. By embedding historical case studies into grassroots political education, Chinese military leadership aims to translate ideological loyalty into institutional compliance during organizational reforms and combat readiness training.

Official Chinese military and state media outlets have highlighted an ideological education campaign within a Red Army brigade belonging to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 75th Group Army, focusing on historical narratives of sacrifice and loyalty. According to reports published by the PLA Daily and People's Daily, a reporting team accompanied soldiers from the brigade on a 'root-seeking' tour examining the legacy of the Long March. The coverage centered on the well-known narrative of the 'half belt,' which dates back to the Red Army's crossing of the marshlands 90 years ago. During the march, a 14-year-old soldier named Zhou Guangcai and his comrades from the 8th Company of the 274th Regiment preserved the remaining half of a leather belt as a symbol of their resolve to reach Yan'an. State media noted that Chinese President and Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping highlighted the story during a January 2016 inspection of the former 13th Group Army, describing it as an embodiment of faith and an ironclad commitment to follow the Communist Party. The recent reporting frames this historical episode as an essential lesson for modern soldiers to prevent spiritual deterioration and maintain organizational fidelity. The reports also detailed other historical anecdotes shared by brigade political instructors during sessions on deepening political rectification. These included the story of Red Army commander Zhou Yucheng, who strictly safeguarded captured gold leaves for organizational use during the 1930s rather than using them to alleviate his family's personal poverty. Through these historical case studies, the brigade's political officers emphasize unyielding adherence to Party leadership, personal integrity, and organizational discipline. The state media coverage underscores the PLA's continued reliance on revolutionary history to anchor ideological education and reinforce political loyalty among grassroots troops.