PLA Daily Urges Military Academies to Align Teaching With Combat Readiness

A commentary published by the PLA Daily has urged Chinese military academies to align instructional practices directly with combat requirements and battlefield preparation. Framing instructors as the core foundation for military human capital, the article cited guidance delivered by Chinese leader Xi Jinping on China's 42nd Teachers' Day, instructing educators to embody the 'spirit of educators.' The piece stressed that accelerating military struggle preparation and escalating international competition for defense talent require defense institutions to focus strictly on real-world warfare scenarios and producing personnel equipped to win future conflicts.

The operational modernization of the People's Liberation Army relies heavily on whether its educational system can cultivate commanders and technical specialists capable of joint operations and advanced warfare. Shifting instructional priorities from traditional theoretical pedagogy to simulated and actual combat readiness directly affects the quality and operational readiness of officers entering frontline formations.

A commentary published in the PLA Daily has called on China's military educational institutions to orient their teaching methods and personnel development strictly around combat readiness and battlefield demands, according to the official publication of the Chinese military. The commentary, authored by Zhang Di and published around China's 42nd Teachers' Day, followed remarks by Chinese President and Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping. In his greetings to educators across the nation, Xi urged teachers to remember their foundational mission of educating for the Communist Party and the country, promote the 'spirit of educators,' enhance their professional competence, and cultivate new generations capable of supporting national rejuvenation. Applying these directives to the armed forces, the PLA Daily described military academy instructors as the backbone of military education and the 'yeast' of personnel development, charged with the dual mandate of moral cultivation and training troops for warfare. The article drew a direct historical lineage from early revolutionary institutions, such as the Red Army University and the Counter-Japanese Military and Political University, to contemporary military academies, noting that generations of instructors have supplied personnel to support defense and military modernization. The commentary emphasized that global competition centered on military talent is becoming increasingly fierce, while the PLA's own modernization drive and preparation for military struggle are accelerating. In this strategic context, the article argued, the demands placed on defense education and human capital development have risen significantly. To meet these demands, the publication instructed military academy educators to implement the 'military education guidelines for the new era,' concentrate teaching activities on realistic combat scenarios, and focus specifically on winning future wars. The commentary concluded by urging all levels of the military hierarchy to improve their capacity to supply qualified personnel tailored to operational readiness requirements.