Defense & StrategyAnalysis
PLA Daily Commentary Reaffirms Ideological Conviction Ahead of Centenary
A military commentary stresses political army building and revolutionary history to strengthen Party loyalty across the armed forces.
Share
Photo by JUNLIN ZOU on Pexels
The Brief
A special commentary published by the PLA Daily has reaffirmed the centrality of political loyalty and ideological conviction as the Chinese People's Liberation Army approaches its centenary. The article, part of a series on political army building, invokes historical party milestones and remarks by Chinese President Xi Jinping to argue that unwavering communist ideals are existential to the military's command structure and operational discipline. The piece signals continued ideological mobilization across the armed forces.
Why it matters
As the PLA works toward its 2027 centenary modernization milestones, political rectitude and ideological fidelity remain top priorities for the Central Military Commission. The commentary highlights Beijing's insistence that cutting-edge military capabilities must be anchored in absolute loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.
China context
Political army building has been a foundational pillar of the PLA since its origins following the 1927 Nanchang Uprising. Chinese military doctrine strictly maintains that the Party commands the gun. In recent years, political rectifications and campaigns reaffirming the political soul of the military have sought to eliminate discipline problems, enforce chain-of-command loyalty, and unify strategic thinking across all services.
Editor's View
EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting.
The resurgence of historical narratives in the military press underscores Beijing's dual focus on technological modernization and political reliability. While external observers often track PLA capabilities through hardware procurement and joint exercises, the leadership continues to treat ideological cohesion as a primary operational determinant.
What to watch
- Subsequent installments in the PLA Daily's special commentary series on political army building.
- The rollout of centralized political education and rectification campaigns across PLA theater commands in the lead-up to the 2027 centenary.
- Personnel adjustments and ideological assessments within senior and mid-level PLA command structures.
Key Takeaways
- 1The PLA Daily published a commentary emphasizing that revolutionary ideals and political conviction remain foundational to the armed forces.
- 2The article referenced historical hardships from 1927, including early Party sacrifices, to underline the existential role of ideological discipline.
- 3The commentary forms part of a broader political education push ahead of the PLA's 2027 centenary milestone.
A signed commentary published by the PLA Daily has called on the armed forces to reinforce their ideological foundation and uphold political discipline as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) approaches its centenary milestone.
Writing under the series title 'Tempering Key Theories' in a special issue on political army building, author Fan Jianghuai emphasized that firm communist ideals constitute the political soul of the Party and the spiritual pillar of the armed forces. The piece cited remarks delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 90th anniversary of the PLA's founding, which underscored that revolutionary conviction has historically sustained the military through crisis and victory.
The commentary placed strong emphasis on the revolutionary history of 1927, recounting the severe setbacks faced by early communists during the failure of the Great Revolution, including the execution of early Party founder Li Dazhao and the casualties suffered before the launching of the Nanchang Uprising. According to the article, these historical experiences demonstrate that maintaining unwavering belief is not a mere slogan, but a fundamental question determining the military's direction, survival, and combat success.
In Chinese defense doctrine, 'political army building' refers to institutional mechanisms ensuring the Party's absolute leadership over the military. By linking ideological resolve to current defense modernization goals, official military media continue to signal that technological and organizational advancements must proceed in lockstep with ideological loyalty and strict political training.
Sources
- 政治建军专刊·淬火要论丨革命理想高于天 — China Military Online · 8/10/2026