Hu Jintao’s thinking on strengthening national defense and the armed forces is Hu Jintao’s systematic theory on national defense and military development and military struggle in the new century and new stage. As an important part of the Scientific Outlook on Development, the application and development of this outlook in the military field, the inheritance and development of Mao Zedong’s military thinking, Deng Xiaoping’s thinking on military building in the new period, and Jiang Zemin’s thinking on national defense and military development, it is a scientific guide to the promotion of national defense and military modernization under the new situation.

I. Basic Content

By adopting Marxist standpoints and methods and in line with the requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development, Hu Jintao’s thinking on strengthening national defense and the armed forces focuses on the development and changes of the conditions of the times, answers what kind of missions the military will perform under the new historical conditions, how to perform these missions, what kind of development to achieve, and how to achieve it, what kind of battles will be fought in the future, how to fight them, etc., and brings clarity to the strategic position, missions, tasks, guidelines, strategic tasks, powerful driving forces, and fundamental guarantees of national defense and military building under the new historical conditions. On major issues, it puts forward a series of closely related and closely inter-connected new ideas, new viewpoints, and new judgments , which have extremely rich ideological content.

Correctly Understanding the Characteristics of the Times and the Development and Changes of the National Security Situation

To assess the national security environment, we must approach it from the perspective of the overall international strategy. Since the end of the Cold War, especially since the beginning of the new century, the world is undergoing major development, major changes and major adjustments. The international strategic situation remains peaceful, and stable and has witnessed positive progress, while uncertain factors affecting world peace and development are increasing. This is the Party’s basic judgment on the international trend and the characteristics of the times. International military competition is still fierce. Major countries in the world have stepped up the adjustment of military and security strategies, increased investment in national defense, seized the commanding heights in the field of military technology, and competed for and maintained strategic resources, strategic places, and strategic dominance. The factors affecting military security have further increased.China is still in a period of important strategic opportunities for development, and national security issues have become increasingly wide-ranging, complex and variable. With the ever closer connection between the international and domestic situations, the internal and external correlation and interaction of national security issues are increasing day by day, and the national security issues and development security issues, traditional security threats and non-traditional security threats are intertwined. As such, the task of safeguarding national security and development interests is even more arduous. We should accurately grasp the new characteristics and new trends of the national security situation, foster the concept of comprehensive security, take development as the top priority, put national sovereignty and security first, and further enhance the awareness of opportunities, urgency, and mission; coordinate responses to multiple security threats, vigorously advance national defense and military modernization, and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests; approach and handle military issues from a political perspective and overall national interests and vigorously improve national strategic capabilities, especially military capabilities, to ensure that we can respond to crises, safeguard peace, and contain and win wars.

Enriching the Country While Building a Strong National Defense and Powerful Military in the Process of Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects

Enriching the country and building a strong national defense and powerful military are the two cornerstones for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the realization of national rejuvenation. In the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, promoting the economic and social development will provide more abundant material and technical conditions for national defense and military modernization.  Strengthening national defense and military modernization will provide stronger security and strategic support for development, which is of great and far-reaching significance for safeguarding national security, developing the overall strategic situation, and realizing the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation. We should build a strong national defense and a powerful military that are commensurate with China’s international status and national security and development interests, and provide important support and strong security guarantees for upholding and developing socialism with Chinese characteristics; coordinate the development of economy and national defense at the height of the overall national security and development strategy, and enrich the country while building a strong national defense and powerful military in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.We must take economic development as the central task, uphold the policy of coordinated development of national defense and economy, vigorously strengthen national defense development on the basis of economic development, and realize the simultaneous development the two; follow the development path of military-civilian integration with Chinese characteristics, strengthen the strategic planning of military-civilian integration development, the building of systems and mechanisms, and the development of laws and regulations, and further unify military and civilian industries and embed military programs in civilian industries in terms of weapons and equipment scientific research and production system, military personnel training system, military support system and national defense mobilization system; integrate national defense development into the economic and social development system, and gradually establish an economic and social development system featuring military-civilian integration which not only makes full use of the achievements of economic and social development to promote national defense and military modernization, but also actively brings into play the role of the latter in stimulating the former, making the two reinforce and integrate with each other, and strive to form a scientific mechanism for the coordinated development of economy and national defense.

Comprehensively Fulfilling the Historical Mission of the Military in the New Century and the New Stage

The historical mission of the people’s forces has always been closely linked with that of the Party, national security and development interests, and has developed with the the times. In the new century and the new stage, the Party must unite and lead the people of all ethnic groups in the country to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects, realize the three historical tasks of the Chinese people in the new century, i.e., to continue to propel the modernization drive, to achieve reunification of the motherland, and to safeguard world peace and promote common development, and realize national rejuvenation by taking the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics. In this great historical process, the historical mission that the military should shoulder is: to provide an important force guarantee for the Party to consolidate its ruling position, to provide a strong security guarantee for safeguarding the important period of strategic opportunity for national development, to provide strong strategic support for safeguarding national interests, and to play an important role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development. It is the Party’s great trust and the people’s expectation to effectively fulfill the military’s historical mission in the new century and the new stage.All the work of the PLA must center around the effective fulfillment of this historical mission, and all the Party building must revolve around improving its ability to fulfill it. We should firmly establish the concept that are compatible with the fulfillment of historical missions and put above all else the defense of national sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity, safeguarding the interests of national development, and protecting the interests of the people; improve the ability to complete various military tasks with the ability to win local wars under the conditions of informationization as the core, in a bid to provide a strong security guarantee for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, building a socialist harmonious society, and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and play an active role in maintaining world peace and promoting common development.

Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development in Strengthening National Defense and the Armed Forces

The Scientific Outlook on Development has opened up a new realm for the development of Marxism in contemporary China, and is a powerful ideological weapon to guide all the work of the Party and the country. Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development in strengthening national defense and the armed forces is an urgent requirement to adapt to the development and changes of the national security situation, an inevitable requirement for achieving coordinated development of the economy and national defense, and an inherent requirement for military building and development in the new century and new stage. To implement the Scientific Outlook on Development in national defense and military development, we must fully and accurately grasp its profound connotation and basic requirements, and implement it in all fields and the entire process of national defense and military development.The overall requirements are: upholding the fundamental nature and purpose of the people’s forces under the absolute leadership of the Party, focusing on effectively fulfilling the historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage, and take improving the deterrence and actual combat capabilities under the conditions of informationization as the fundamental starting point and ultimate purpose, and comprehensively make the military more revolutionary, modernized and well-structured, fully implement the general requirements of being qualified politically and competent militarily and having a fine style of work, strict discipline and adequate logistic support, coordinate military reform with Chinese characteristics and preparations for military struggle, coordinate mechanization and informatization, and coordinate the building of various services and arms, coordinate current development and long-term development, coordinate the development of major strategic directions and other strategic directions, further implement the strategy of strengthening the military through science and technology, and focus on promoting innovation in military theory, military technology, military organization, and military management, and speed up the transformation of the generation model of combat effectiveness, give full play to the main role of the officers and soldiers, promote military-civilian integration, and realize the comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development of national defense and the armed forces. To implement the Scientific Outlook on Development in strengthening national defense and the armed forces, we must adhere to the theme of promoting the scientific development in strengthening national defense and the armed forces, take accelerating the transformation of the combat effectiveness generation model as the key link, and take the implementation of the main theme and link of national defense and military development as a major strategic task. We should bear this main theme and task in mind throughout the whole process of the development and reform of the military, and the entire process and field of preparation for military struggle, and pay more attention to ideologically and politically building the military, expanding and deepening preparations for military struggle, reform and innovation, running the military in accordance with the law and with strict discipline, improving the quality and efficiency of military building, making significant progress in promoting the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces, and making substantial progress in accelerating the transformation of the combat effectiveness generation model; strengthen the overall development of the military in accordance with the principle of unifying revolutionary, modernized and well-structured development, always put revolutionary development in the first place, take modernization as the central task, and promote the well-structured development to a higher level; follow the principle of putting people first as an important concept of building and running the military, and unify the promotion of military building and the all-round development of officers and soldiers; develop a path of national defense and military modernization with less investment and higher efficiency, and improve the overall quality and efficiency of military development.

Strengthening the Ideological and Political Building of the Military under the Guidance of the “Three Guarantees”

Ideological and political development is the fundamental building dimension of the people’s forces. Paying attention to this development is a valuable experience for the Party to build and run the military. Changes in international and domestic situations and the increase of military missions and tasks mean new and higher requirements for ideological and political development. The current task facing the ideological and political development of the military under the new situation is to ensure that the military will always be people’s forces under the absolute leadership of the Party, ensure the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces, and ensure the effective fulfillment of the historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage.To strengthen the ideological and political development of the military under the guidance of the “three guarantees”, we must take the fundamental principle of the Party’s absolute leadership over the military and the fundamental purpose of the people’s forces as the basic starting point, and constantly enhance the military spirit of all officers and soldiers; maintain a firm and correct political direction, so that it will not waver at any time and under any circumstances; make it a major strategic task to arm the entire military with the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and constantly make officers and soldiers more purposeful and determined in holding high the banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, uphold the theory, system and road of socialism with Chinese characteristics; uphold the Scientific Outlook on Development as an important guiding principle for strengthening national defense and the armed forces, and strive to improve the scientific development in this regard; focus on effectively fulfilling the historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage, strengthen its ideological and political development, and provide a powerful source of aspiration and strong talent support for the military to perform its mission; focus on strengthening the spiritual pillar of officers and soldiers, and vigorously cultivate the core values of the contemporary revolutionary soldiers as the basic projects, i.e., “loyalty to the Party, love of the people, service to the country, dedication to the mission, and belief in honor”, carry forward the fine tradition of obeying the Party’s command, serving the people, and fighting valiantly and skillfully, vigorously develop advanced military culture, and promote the scientific development and effective implementation of national defense and military development. The historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage provides strong spiritual strength; the strengthening and improvement of Party building in the military must be taken as a key link to effectively make Party building in the military more scientific; earnestly strengthen the building of the leadership team and the ranks of senior and middle-level leading officers to ensure that our weaponry is always in the hands of those who are reliable and loyal to the Party and can withstand the test of trials and tribulations; focus on making ideological and political development more scientific, enhancing the initiative, pertinence, and effectiveness of ideological and political work  and effectively improving and innovating relevant work by being closely in line with the times, the missions and tasks, the characteristics of officers and men, in a bid to adapt relevant development to the new situation and achieve new development.

Persistently Expand and Deepen Preparations for Military Struggle

Preparation for military struggle is the main long-term strategic task of the military. No matter whether the national security situation is tense or stable, preparations for military struggle must never be relaxed in the slightest. We should adapt to the development and changes of the situation, proceed from the core national security needs, take the military strategy in the new era as the guide, fully appreciate the goals, tasks and requirements of military struggle preparation under the new situation, expand and deepen military struggle preparation, and raise military readiness to a new level; strengthen the strategic guidance of preparations for military struggle, lead military modernization with this preparation, more conscientiously integrate such preparation into national defense and military modernization, lead and promote the development of military weapons and equipment, military theory innovation, military personnel training and military development with such preparation, and give full play to the important role of such preparation in maintaining national security and promoting the military building and development; uphold the main strategic direction as the focus of such preparation, and coordinate the promotion of such preparation in other strategic directions, grasp the interconnectedness and unity of the main strategic direction and other strategic directions, and maintain the overall strategic balance and stability; unswervingly base such preparation on winning local wars and focus on strengthening the core military capability building of winning local wars under the conditions of informationization, and coordinate and strengthen the capacity building of non-war military operations; vigorously study combat issues, conduct in-depth research on basic theoretical issues of local wars and major practical issues of preparation for military struggles under the conditions of informatization, enrich and improve combat thinking, innovate and develop strategies and tactics of people’s war, and build an advanced combat theory system with the characteristics of the people’s forces and in line with the laws of modern warfare; promote the development of high-tech weapons and equipment, coordinate and strengthen the development of military information systems, informationized weapons and equipment system for main battles, and informationized support environments, and promote the comprehensive and coordinated development of informationization; further promote the transformation of military training under the conditions of mechanization to military training under the conditions of informationization, accelerate the pace of building a modern logistics in an all-round way, focus on improving the level of weapons and equipment support, develop new types of combat forces, implement the talent strategy project, and improve the ability to complete a variety of military missions under conditions of informationization with capabilities of winning local warfare as the core, incorporate public opinion warfare, psychological warfare, and legal warfare into the deployment of military struggles, and plan and organize from the national strategic level. While making material and technical preparations, we must vigorously strengthen the mental preparation for combat, strengthen the concept of maintaining combat readiness, and firmly establish the firm confidence of daring to fight and win.

Speeding up the Transformation of Combat Power Generation Mode

The rapid development of high and new technology, mainly symbolized by information technology, and its wide application in the military field have profoundly changed the connotation of combat power elements, thus greatly altering the mode of combat power generation. Informationized capability plays a leading role in the generation mode of combat effectiveness. Informationized weapons and equipment have become the key material factors of combat effectiveness. Warfighting capabilities based on information systems have become the basic form of combat effectiveness. Human scientific and technological quality is of particular importance in combat effectiveness. Speeding up the transformation of the combat effectiveness generation model is an inherent requirement for solving the two main “incompatibilities” in military building, and is the only way to promote the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces. We must accelerate the transformation of the combat power generation mode as the main task of national defense and military development, and shift this mode to improving the information systems-based warfighting capability led by informationization and with new-type combat force building as a growth point, and to relying on science and technology progress, the quality of officers and soldiers, and management innovation, and to taking the path of military-civilian integration.We must persist in taking the expansion of preparations for military struggle as the main task, the comprehensive improvement of the military’s informatization as the development direction, the improvement of the combat capability of the information system-based warfighting capability as the starting point and the ultimate purpose, the development of new combat forces as the strategic focus, and the further promotion of the development of military-civilian integration as an important way. We must accelerate the transformation of the combat effectiveness generation mode to promoting the improvement of preparation for military struggle, promote the transformation of the military from mechanization and semi-mechanization to informationization, and measure and test the outcome of the building in the fields of military, politics, logistics and equipment based on whether it is conducive to improving the information system-based warfighting capability; improve the overall combat capability of the military through the development of new types of combat forces, and effectively transform how the military is built, developed and supported; place military training in a strategic position, and actively promote the transformation of military training under mechanized conditions to military training under informationized conditions.In accordance with the requirements of winning local wars under the conditions of informationization, we should carry out in-depth military training under the conditions of informationization, highlight training in complex battlefield environments with a focus on complex electromagnetic environments, and train troops based on the needs of actual combat; adapt to the transformation of the combat effectiveness generation mode, take the road of training through science and technology, and build a scientific system of military training under the conditions of informationization through reform and innovation; conduct joint training which is the key link in the generation of combat effectiveness, strengthen integrated joint training, put the fundamental focus of military training on improving the overall quality of officers and soldiers, and continuously improve the integrated joint combat capability of the troops.

Speeding up the Development of Modern logistics in an All-round Way

The improvement of the military’s combat effectiveness is inseparable from strong logistical support. We should accelerate the pace of building a modern logistics in an all-round way, and strive to form a scientific support system, support method, support means and management model that reflect Chinese characteristics, conform to the laws of modern military building, and meet the requirements of local wars under the conditions of informationization, so as to lay a solid foundation for developing informationized logistics and winning informationized warfare; focus on fully fulfilling the historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage, steadily implement logistics reforms in accordance with the development requirements of the times, actively seek scientific development, and promote the integration of the support system, the commercialization of support methods, the informationization of support approaches, and the scientific development of logistics management, so as to promote sound and rapid development of logistics.focus on improving the logistics support capabilities under the conditions of informationization, uphold the information dominance, science and technology promotion, further accelerate the logistics informationization, and give full play to the leading role of information capabilities in the development of modern logistics support capabilities; prepare for the logistics of military struggles, scientifically implement major logistics development projects, focus on cultivating a new type of high-caliber military logistics personnel, vigorously strengthen logistics training under the conditions of informationization, and improve the information system-based operational logistics support capabilities. While vigorously strengthening the building of the logistics support capacity for winning local wars under the conditions of informationization, it is necessary to coordinate and strengthen the building of the logistics support capacity for non-war military operations; carry forward the spirit of hard work, always implement the policy of building the armed forces through diligence and thrift, and unswervingly follow the path of national defense and military modernization with less investment and higher efficiency, resolutely oppose extravagance and waste, and master the investment direction and investment amount of all kinds of resources for military building, effectively manage and make good use of the limited military expenditure, and see that every cent is used where it is needed most.

Achieving Independent, Leapfrog and Sustainable Development of Weapons and Equipment

High-tech weapons and equipment reflect a country’s economic strength, scientific and technological strength, and national defense strength. We must be determined to further advance the development of weapons and equipment, especially to accelerate the pace of informationization of weapons and equipment, and continuously strengthen the material and technological foundation for the military to transform from mechanization and semi-mechanization to informationization; focus on the strategic goal of building an informationized military and winning informationized warfare, with enhancing the ability to win local wars under conditions of informationization as the core, combine operational demand and scientific and technological promotion, and earnestly conduct scientific planning and top-level design for and development of weapons and equipment, scientifically determine the development direction and development focus of weapons and equipment, take “killer” weapons and equipment as the top priority, aim for the frontiers of world military science and technology, selectively launch some research and development projects that can greatly drive the development of weapons and equipment, and strive to build weapon and equipment system in line with informationized combat requirements and with the characteristics of the people’s forces; improve the independent innovation capabilities of national defense technology and weapons and equipment as the strategic basis for the modernization of national defense and the military, adhere to the guidelines of independent innovation, focus on leapfrog development in , support development, and steer the course to the future, and vigorously promote the the spirit of “Two Bombs, One Satellite” (Two Bombs refers to the atomic bomb and the intercontinental ballistic missile, while One Satellite refers to the artificial satellite) and the spirit of the manned space program, enhance the original innovation, integrated innovation and the ability of “introduction, digestion, absorption and re-innovation”, strive to achieve major breakthroughs in some basic, cutting-edge, and strategic technological fields, master key national defense technologies and core technologies with independent intellectual property rights, and keep the lifeblood of transforming the military modernization firmly in our own hands, strive to seize the commanding heights of the development of national defense science and technology, and lead the world’s high-tech field. With the goal of improving the integrated joint combat capabilities of the various services and arms, we should further improve and optimize the weapon and equipment system structure, strengthen supporting development, raise standardization, serial development and interoperability of equipment, and establish a weapons and equipment maintenance and support system featuring military-civilian integration, carry out new equipment training, and ensure that the new equipment systematically and organically forms combat capabilities and support capabilities; actively promote the adjustment and reform of the weapons and equipment management system and the national defense science, technology and industry system, and provide institutional and mechanism guarantees for the independent, leapfrog and sustainable development of weapons and equipment.

Training a New Type of High-caliber Military Personnel in Large Numbers      

People are the users of weapons and equipment in war, the creators of combat methods, and the practitioners of military operations. High-caliber soldiers are the decisive factor for the operation of the complex human-machine system of the modern armed forces. Stepping up the training of a new type of high-caliber military personnel in large numbers is the fundamental plan to realize the strategic goal of building an informationized armed forces and winning informationized warfare. We should establish the concept that that talented personnel are the primary resources, take the training of a new type of high-caliber military personnel as a key task, and strive to integrate outstanding talents into the cause of national defense and military building; implement the talent strategy project in depth, strengthen the building of the information technology talent team, optimize the talent structure, and further focus on the training of joint combat command talents, informationization management talents, information technology professionals, and new-type talents for equipment operation and maintenance, speed up the training, introduction, adjustment and supplementation of various types of talents in short supply, especially command talents for joint operations and professional and technical talents for new equipment, and provide talents and intellectual support for the formation and improvement of the information system-based warfighting capability; cultivate talents on a large scale and greatly improve the comprehensive quality of talents as a strategic starting point. While comprehensively improving the ideological and political quality, military professional quality, and physical and psychological quality of officers and soldiers, we should pay attention to improving their scientific and technological quality, and effectively address their low scientific and technological quality; produce a large number of high-quality new military talents who are adapted to the informationization of the armed forces and are competent for combat tasks under the conditions of informationization. Military academies are the main channel for cultivating military talents. We should earnestly implement the strategy of giving priority to the development of college education, better shoulder the historical responsibility of cultivating a new type of high-caliber military personnel, and further enhance the training of high-caliber joint combat command talents and improve the quality of teaching and scientific research and personnel training in colleges and universities; strengthen the joint efforts of colleges and troops in education, increase the intensity of open training, establish and improve the whole-process talent training mechanism with ability improvement as the core and integrating training and application, and strive to form a quality training pattern of officers and soldiers that combines college education and military training, military education and national education, and domestic training and foreign training; further deepen the adjustment and reform of the policy system for the military human resources, actively create a policy and institutional environment where talents can better develop and play their role, and create a social environment that encourages, supports and helps talents achieve great things, so as to better gather talents, cultivate talents, and use talents and create a new situation in which capable people come forth in great numbers and put their talents to best use.

Taking the Rule of Law and Running the Military with Strict Discipline as the Work with Overall, Basic and Long-term Significance  

Running the military in accordance with the law and with strict discipline is the iron law of military building, an important source of combat effectiveness, and an important guarantee for advancing the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces. We should uphold the rule of law and strict management of the military as the overall, basic and long-term work of military building, and resolutely implement it in all fields of politics, military, logistics, and equipment development, all aspects of military building and the whole process of combat power building. In order to run the armed forces with strict discipline, we must give top priority to strict discipline, effectively solve the problems of lax management, lax work style, and lax discipline, and ensure a high degree of stability and centralization of the armed forces. One of the most important aspects of running the armed forces with strict discipline is to uphold the rule of law, to guide and carry out work in accordance with the rules and regulations, and to maintain the regular combat readiness, training, work and life of the troops; uphold the rule of law as the basic requirement of standardized development, further improve the military legal system with the characteristics of the people’s armed forces, and provide a sound legal system guarantee for the running of the armed forces with strict discipline; intensify the running of the armed forces according to the law and with strict discipline, so that the modernization of the armed forces will embark on the law-based, standardized and institutionalized development path; fully recognize the important position and role of scientific management in the building of the armed forces, actively explore a scientific management model with the characteristics of the people’s forces, and continuously make military governance more scientific, standardized and law-based, and improve efficiency and combat effectiveness through scientific management; strengthen the role of military training in governing the military, closely combine education, management, development and training, and promote the effective implementation of the principles of governing the military according to the law and with strict discipline; strive to achieve the safe development of military building, in-depth research and mastery of the characteristics and laws of military security work under the new situation, firmly establish and conscientiously implement the concept of safe development, take security work as a major event related to the overall situation, carry out comprehensive management focused on major security issue prevention, and conduct covert struggle and inter-defense secrecy under the new situation, and establish a long-term mechanism to maintain the security and stability of the troops; attach great importance to the grassroots, so as to promote the overall improvement of the grassroots military building.

Actively and Prudently Carrying out National Defense and Military Reforms

To promote the modernization of national defense and the military, the driving force is reform, and the way out is also reform. We should unswervingly deepen the reform of national defense and the military, and effectively solve the deep-seated contradictions and problems that restrict the development of the military in terms of systems and mechanisms, are of great significance for promoting the sound and rapid development of the military building and creating a new situation for the modernization of national defense and the military； unswervingly adhere to the direction of reform and seize the opportunity to achieve new breakthroughs in some important areas and key links; adapt to the new trend of accelerating the transformation of the form of mechanized warfare to the form of informationized warfare, the new situation of China’s reform and opening up and socialist modernization, the new requirements of national defense and the development of the military, to further modernize the organization of the military, and to strive to form a complete set of scientific organizational models, institutional arrangements and operation modes that have both Chinese characteristics and conform to the laws of modern military building; focus on solving the outstanding contradictions of the system and mechanism, and put the focus of reform readjustment on optimizing the leadership and management system, the joint combat command system and the force structure; further adjust and improve the establishments; optimize the leadership and management system so that it is conducive to the implementation of centralized and unified leadership and strategic management, and improve the joint combat command system, as well as the joint training system and joint support system that are compatible with this command system; focus on building a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics, optimize the structure of military services and arms, and enrich new combat and support forces; pay attention to the adjustment and reform of policies and systems and the military human resources policy system, improve the evaluation, selection, appointment, and training systems for officers, explore the establishment of a professional officer system with Chinese characteristics, adjust and reform the civilian personnel system, improve the military service system and soldiers’ re-employment and retirement resettlement system.To deepen the reform of national defense and the military, we must vigorously promote innovation in military theory, military technology, military organization, and military management, and continuously inject new vitality into the development of these two areas; adhere to the standard of combat effectiveness, and take improving combat effectiveness as the starting point and goal of reform; use the combat effectiveness standard to unify reform thinking, measure reform measures, and test reform results; correctly handle the relationship between learning from foreign armed forces and maintain the characteristics of the people’s forces, always proceed from national conditions and military conditions, focus on our own needs and utilize all favorable factors for our own benefit, and take the path of reform and development of national defense and the military with distinctive Chinese features; correctly handle the relationship between reform, development and stability and between deepening reform and preparing for military struggle, design reform on an overall basis, decide the proper timing and intensity of reform to make reform-related decision-making more scientific and ensure the smooth implementation of national defense and military reforms.

Making Party Building in the Military More Scientific

Party building in the military is the foundation and key to all the work of the military. In order to make Party building in the military more scientific under the new historical conditions, we must take capacity building and upholding its advanced nature and purity as the main task, conscientiously implement the Party’s policy of supervising its own conduct and ensuring full and strict governance over itself, and focus on the central task in buttressing its ideological commitment, consolidating its organizations, improving its conduct, and conducting the fight against corruption and system building, ensure the absolute leadership of the Party over the military as the fundamental task, promote the scientific development of military building and improving its ability to perform missions and tasks as the starting point and ultimate purpose, and regard building strong Party committees and high-quality officers as the key link, and strengthening their awareness of Party norms and guidelines and promoting fine work conduct as important tasks, enhancing the creativity, cohesion, and combat effectiveness of Party organizations at all levels, and transforming the Party’s political and organizational advantages into a powerful force to promote the scientific development of military building; take arming ourselves with theory as the foundation, focus on improving theoretical proficiency and learning ability, strengthen the building of learning-oriented Party organizations, work hard to learn theory, science and technology and management, carry forward the style of study that integrates theory with practice, and continuously improve the ability to lead the armed forces in conducting scientific building and accomplishing various missions; strengthen the capacity building of the military Party organization in accordance with the requirements of advanced nature, continuously improve the ability to strengthen the ideological and political building of the armed forces, identify the correct direction of the military building, and continuously improve the ability to lead the preparation for military struggle and lead the military to complete the combat tasks under the conditions of informationization, and continuously improve the ability of carrying out military reform with Chinese characteristics and promoting mechanization and informationization, and the ability to continuously improve the ability to strictly govern the armed forces in accordance with the law and strengthen the standardization of the armed forces; build a strong Party committee team and a team of high-quality officers to ensure that the weaponry is firmly in the hands of reliable people who are loyal to the party; carry out in-depth activities of creating advanced grass-roots Party organizations and striving to be outstanding Party members, so as to drive and promote the overall progress and comprehensive improvement of the grass-roots building of the armed forces; focus on improving the thinking to strengthen the Party’s work style, highlight middle and high-level officers as the key point, guide and establish a good style of study, work, leadership and life with a fine thinking and work style to foster the good work style and good atmosphere of the armed forces, govern the Party with strict discipline, and effectively solve the outstanding problems related to the awareness of Party’s norms and guidelines, Party conduct and discipline; carry out the institution building throughout the Party’s ideological development, organizational development, work style development and the fight against corruption, strengthen institution building with democratic centralism as the core, improve the level of scientific decision-making, democratic decision-making, and law-based decision-making, and effectively protect the principal position of Party members and democratic rights, and enhance the vitality of Party organizations at all levels in the military.

Relying on the People for Developing National Defense

People’s war has always been a magic weapon for the people’s forces to defeat the enemy and win. No matter how weapons and equipment develop, or how warfare changes, people’s war will never become obsolete. It is an irrefutable truth that soldiers and people are the foundation of victory. We must uphold the strategic thinking of people’s war, rely on the people for developing national defense, combine a capable standing army and a strong reserve force, and continuously enhance China’s war potential and national defense; adapt to the development and changes of the situation and tasks, constantly develop the strategies and tactics of the people’s war under high-tech conditions, innovate the content and form of the people’s war, actively explore and develop new ways and methods for the people to participate in the war and support the front line, and effectively strengthen the overall strength in conducting the people’s war under the conditions of informationization. Building a strong people’s military and fortified national defense is the common cause of the people of all ethnic groups in the country. We must stick to the policy of all people running national defense, fully mobilize the enthusiasm and initiative of the people to build national defense, and form a dynamic situation where the whole society cares about, love and build national defense, and defending national defense; carry out in-depth national defense education with patriotism as the core, and continuously enhance awareness of national defense and national defense and security; establish and improve a prompt and efficient national defense mobilization system, and better integrate national defense mobilization and economic and social development; strengthen the building of the militia reserve force, and create a powerful reserve force that can respond to emergencies in both peacetime and wartime；carry forward the fine tradition of relying on the people to build the military and national defense, and dedicate its soul and mind to the military-government and military-civilian relationship; vigorously carry forward the glorious tradition of supporting the government and the people, conscientiously obey and serve the work of the Party and the country, actively participate in and support local economic, social, and ecological environment development, carry out in-depth military-civilian joint development activities, and contribute to building a socialist harmonious society. Local party committees and governments at all levels should care about and support the building of the military and provide a strong backing for national defense and military development.

II. Formation and Development

Hu Jintao is the general secretary of the 16th and 17th CPC Central Committees, the main leader of the PLA, and the main advocate of the Scientific Outlook on Development. In 1985, he served as the first secretary of the Party Committee of the Guizhou Provincial Military Region. In 1988, he served as the first secretary of the Party Committee of the Tibet Military Region. In September 1999, he was appointed Vice Chairman of the CMC. In October of the same year, he was appointed Vice-Chairman of the CMC. In March 2003, he was elected President of the PRC. In September 2004, he was appointed chairman of the CMC. In March 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the CMC. In the practice of leading national defense and army building, Hu Jintao combined Mao Zedong’s military thinking, Deng Xiaoping’s thinking on military building in the new period, Jiang Zemin’s thinking on national defense and military building with new military practice, and studied and solved the major strategic issues of national defense and military building in the new century and the new stage before making a new theoretical generalization and forming Hu Jintao’s thinking on national defense and military development.

After the 16th National Congress, especially the Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee, profound changes have taken place in the international and domestic environment, the process of RMA in the world has accelerated, and the comprehensiveness, complexity and variability of China’s national security issues have increased. The mission of the people’s forces has been further expanded, and the military tasks it undertakes are very heavy, which means new historic requirements for the preparation for military struggle and military modernization. These have brought both new opportunities and severe challenges to national defense and military development, and raised a series of new issues that need to be answered and resolved urgently. Faced with the new situation and new tasks, Hu Jintao focused on the overall national security and development strategy, scientifically planned and guided national defense and military building and preparations for military struggle, put forward a series of major guidelines and guiding principles, made a series of major strategic decisions and deployments, and directed a series of major military operations, thereby enabling the people’s forces to withstand the severe test of political struggle, military struggle and the struggle against serious natural disasters, and making remarkable achievements in making the armed forces more revolutionary, modernized and standardized. Hu Jintao put forward a series of closely related and interconnected new ideas, new viewpoints and new judgments on strengthening national defense and military development: China is still in a period of important strategic opportunities for development, and national security issues have become more wide-ranging, complex and variable; building a fortified national defense and a strong military that is commensurate with China’s international status and national security and development interests is a strategic task of China’s modernization drive. We should coordinate economic and national defense development, follow the path of military-civilian integration with Chinese characteristics, and realize the unity of enriching the country and strengthening the armed forces in the process of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects; fulfill the historical mission of the armed forces in the new century and the new stage; implement the scientific development concept in national defense and military development, stick to the theme of promoting the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces, and accelerate the transformation of combat effectiveness model as the main task, comprehensively make the armed forces more revolutionary, modernized and standardized; take putting people first as an important concept of building and governing the armed forces; focus on the “three guarantees” of the times in strengthening the ideological and political development of the military and cultivating the core values of contemporary revolutionary soldiers in an in-depth and lasting manner, and vigorously develop advanced military culture; accelerate industrialization; keep the core military capacity building unswervingly, strengthen the capacity building for non-war military actions, and comprehensively improve the ability to complete diverse military tasks with the ability to win local wars under the conditions of informationization as the core; expand and deepen the military preparation for struggle; build modern logistics in an all-round way; realize independent, leapfrog, and sustainable development of weapons and equipment; train a new type of high-caliber new military personnel in large numbers; reform national defense and the military in an active and prudent manner, deepen the modernization of the organization of the military, and build a modern military force system with Chinese characteristics; make Party building more scientific in the military; rely on the people for developing national defense and enhance the overall strength of the people’s war under the conditions of informationization, etc.These important ideas are mainly reflected in his “Approaching and Handling Military Issues from a Political Height and Overall National Interests” (2004), “Fulfilling the Historical Mission of Our Military in the New Century and the New Stage” (2004), “Strengthen Fighting Spiritual Preparation" (2004), “Unremittingly Pushing Forward Military Reform with Chinese Characteristics” (2004), “Resolutely Fulfilling Our Military’s Historical Mission in the New Century and the New Stage, and Striving to Open a New Chapter in Modernizing National Defense and the Armed Forces” (2005), “Upholding the Scientific Outlook on Development as an Important Guideline for Strengthening National Defense and Military Development” (2005), “Endeavoring to Promote the Sound and Rapid Development of National Defense and the Armed Forces” (2005), “Relying on Scientific and Technological Progress and Innovation to Improve the Quality and Efficiency of Logistics Support” (2006), “Conscientiously Implementing the Scientific Outlook on Development in All Fields and the Whole Process of National Defense and Military Development” (2006), “Promoting the Transformation of Military Training under the Conditions of Mechanization to Military Training under the Conditions of Informationization” (2006), “Speech at the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Red Army’s Long March” (2006), “Promoting Sound and Rapid Development of the Armed Forces in Accordance with the Requirements of the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Actively Contributing to the Building of a Socialist Harmonious Society” ( 2007), “Speech at the Celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and the Hero and Role Model Congress of the Military” (2007), “Opening up New Prospects for National Defense and Military Modernization” (2007), “Arming the Entire Military with the Theory of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics Systematically and Continuously Improving the Ability to Fulfill the Military’s Historical Mission in the New Century and the New Stage” (2008), “Strengthening the Ideological and Political Development of the Military under the New Situation” (2008), “Comprehensively Improving Our Military’s Capacity to Fulfill Its Historical Mission in the New Century and the New Stage, and Striving to Open up New Prospects for the Modernization of National Defense and the Armed Forces” (2009), “Blazing a Trail of Military-Civilian Integration with Chinese Characteristics, and Promoting the Positive Interaction Between National Defense and Economic Development” (2009), “Adapt to the New Situation, Task, and Requirements, and Vigorously Strengthening and Improving Party Building in the Military” (2009), “Making the Military More Revolutionary, Modernized and Standardized at a New Starting Point, and Continuously Improving Its Ability to Effectively Perform Its Historical Missions in the New Century and the New Stage” (2010), “Continuously and Comprehensively Strengthening Our Military’s Capability of Fulfilling Its Historical Mission in the New Century and the New Stage and Supporting and Ensuring Security for Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects” (2011), “Speech at the Celebration of the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of China” (2011), “In-depth Implementation the Main Task of National Defense and Military Development and Greeting the Successful Convocation of the 19th Party Congress with Outstanding Achievements” (2012), “Accelerating the Modernization of National Defense and the Military” (2012) and other important speeches and writings.

III. Scientific value

Hu Jintao’s thinking on national defense and military building are in the same vein as Mao Zedong’s military thinking, Deng Xiaoping’s thinking on military building in the new era, and Jiang Zemin’s thinking on national defense and military building. Under the historical conditions of great development, great transformation and great adjustment in the world, and China’s building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, how to promote the scientific development of national defense and the armed forces, and fulfill the historical mission of the military in the new century and the new stage, the formation of a scientific and complete theoretical system.

Hu Jintao’s thoughts on national defense and military building are the product of the combination of Marxist military theory and China’s military practice in the new century and new stage, the creative application of the world outlook and methodology of dialectical materialism and historical materialism in the field of contemporary China’s military, and the contemporary CPC and the scientific crystallization of people’s promotion of theoretical and practical innovation in the military field. It embodies the scientific spirit of emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, advancing with the times, and seeking truth and pragmatism. The understanding of the law of military building and deployment has been raised to a new height, which has opened up a new realm of innovation and development of the Party’s military guidance theory.

Hu Jintao’s thoughts on national defense and military building scientifically sum up the fresh experience of contemporary China’s military practice, actively learn from the useful experience of the world’s RMA, and profoundly reveal the basic laws of national defense and military building in the new century and the new stage. This powerful ideological weapon has great and far-reaching guiding significance for the continuous advancement of national defense and military modernization.