On March 7, after attending the Jiangsu delegation review and the CPPCC joint organizing meeting in the previous two days, Xi Jinping’s third stop during this year’s Two Sessions was the delegation from the People’s Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force.
This is also the delegation he has visited every year for 12 consecutive years.
At the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force, President Xi focused on improving strategic capabilities in emerging areas.
What are strategic capabilities in emerging fields and how should they be deployed?
In addition to "new quality productivity", President Xi also focused on "new quality combat effectiveness" in his speech.
What is the connection between the two and how to integrate and interact?
"Current Affairs News Eye" special issue of the two sessions will explain it to you.
01
Strategic planning for the new
On the afternoon of March 7, at the plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation, a total of six representatives spoke.
Two of them are from the Strategic Support Force, and the remaining four are from the Navy, Southern Theater Command, Academy of Military Sciences, and Army.
Xi Jinping delivers important speeches every time he visits delegations of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force.
Every speech contains both far-reaching strategic planning and specific work arrangements.
This year, President Xi’s focus is on improving strategic capabilities in emerging areas.
President Xi pointed out that strategic capabilities in emerging fields are an important part of the national strategic system and capabilities. They are related to the high-quality economic and social development of our country, national security and military initiative, and are of great significance to comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization. .
How to improve strategic capabilities in emerging fields?
President Xi has been thinking about this for a long time.
When visiting the People's Liberation Army delegation in 2013, President Xi clearly stated the goal of strengthening the military.
He also emphasized that the ability to fight and win wars is the key to a strong military and firmly establish combat effectiveness as the only fundamental criterion.
In 2017 and 2020, President Xi twice emphasized to the delegations of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force that we must "persist in seeking combat effectiveness from scientific and technological innovation."
In January 2019, when attending the Central Military Commission’s Military Work Conference, President Xi pointed out that it is necessary to strengthen the construction of new combat forces and increase the proportion of new combat capabilities.
Since then, President Xi has repeatedly talked about strengthening the construction of new quality combat capabilities when inspecting the troops.
The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China clearly stated that the proportion of combat forces in new domains and new qualities should be increased.
△The scene of the plenary meeting of the delegations of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force.
New quality combat power, new domain and new quality combat power, "new" has been reflected in the new expansion of the space field, new changes in the winning mechanism, new mutations in science and technology, new modes of weapons and equipment, and new forms of force organization. It has become the commanding heights of strategic competition between major powers and the key force to win the future.
We have made some achievements in building new quality combat capabilities.
President Xi pointed out at the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force that since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we have coordinated the development of strategic emerging industries and new combat forces and achieved a series of major results.
Improving the new combat effectiveness still remains an important task.
This is also an important reason why President Xi requires comprehensive improvement of strategic capabilities in emerging fields.
△The scene of the plenary meeting of the delegations of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force.
02
When "new quality combat effectiveness" meets "new quality productivity"
To understand President Xi’s important speech to the People’s Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation this year, we must link it with his speech on the same occasion last year.
On March 8 last year, when attending the plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation, President Xi focused on a strategic deployment made by the Party Central Committee - "consolidating and improving the integrated national strategic system and capabilities."
President Xi pointed out that consolidating and improving the integrated national strategic system and capabilities is a complex systematic project. It is necessary to coordinate the overall situation, highlight key points, and drive overall advancement with key breakthroughs.
In this systematic project, one of the key points that President Xi emphasized at the time was "to accelerate the improvement of strategic capabilities in emerging fields and seek new advantages for national development and international competition."
△The scene of the plenary meeting of the delegations of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force.
To understand President Xi's speech that day, we must also connect it with his speech two days ago when he participated in the deliberation of the Jiangsu delegation.
On March 5 this year, President Xi focused on the development of new productive forces in the Jiangsu delegation based on local conditions.
What is new productivity?
"The characteristic is innovation, the key is high quality, and the essence is advanced productivity."
High-quality economic and social development requires the development of "new productive forces."
To comprehensively promote the modernization of national defense and the army, we must enhance "new quality combat effectiveness."
This time at the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force, President Xi elaborated on the integrated and interactive relationship between the two.
President Xi said that after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee clearly proposed to accelerate the development of new productive forces based on the overall situation of promoting high-quality development.
This provides a rare opportunity for strategic capacity building in emerging fields.
It is necessary to seize the momentum, grasp the characteristics and laws of the development of emerging fields, and promote the efficient integration and two-way pull of new productivity and new combat effectiveness.
△Representatives of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force attending the opening ceremony of the Second Session of the 14th National People's Congress.
03
To comprehensively enhance strategic capabilities in emerging fields, Xi Jinping has made these arrangements
At the plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation on March 7, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to strengthen mission responsibilities, deepen reform and innovation, and comprehensively enhance strategic capabilities in emerging fields.
How to improve comprehensively?
President Xi made arrangements mainly from three aspects, which can be summarized into three keywords.
The first key word is "focus".
President Xi said that it is necessary to highlight development priorities and implement strategies and plans related to strategic capacity building in emerging fields.
What are the key points?
For example, explore the ocean.
President Xi once pointed out that the maritime industry is related to the survival and development of the nation and the prosperity and safety of the country.
This time at the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force, President Xi pointed out that it is necessary to coordinate preparations for maritime military struggles, the protection of maritime rights and interests, and the development of the maritime economy to enhance the ability to manage the ocean.
For example, network security.
There is no national security without network security, and there is no modernization without informatization.
President Xi pointed out at the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force that it is necessary to build a cyberspace defense system and improve the ability to maintain national network security.
△On March 5, 2024, during the first "Representative Channel" centralized interview event of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress, Gao Qiang, deputy to the National People's Congress and deputy chief of staff of a certain brigade of the Air Force Aviation Force, was answering reporters' questions.
(Photo/Visual China)
The second key word is "innovation".
President Xi said that the development of emerging fields fundamentally stems from the innovation and application of science and technology.
We must enhance our confidence in innovation, insist on putting ourselves first, proceed from reality, vigorously promote independent innovation and original innovation, and create new-quality productivity and new-quality combat effectiveness growth poles.
President Xi once profoundly pointed out, “A big country like ours and an army like ours must take the initiative through independent innovation, otherwise we will have to be controlled by others.”
In May 2018, when President Xi inspected the Academy of Military Sciences, he pointed out that it is necessary to consolidate and strengthen areas of advantage, increase innovation in emerging areas, and strengthen the incubation and nurturing of strategic, cutting-edge, and disruptive technologies.
Emerging fields often contain opportunities for “crossing borders” and “breaking circles”.
In this speech, President Xi said that it is necessary to grasp the cross-integrated development characteristics of emerging fields, strengthen integrated innovation and comprehensive application, and promote the formation of a vivid situation with multiple breakthroughs and group explosions.
△The Great Hall of the People.
(Photographed by Taiwan National Broadcasting Corporation reporter Li Jin)
The third key word is "reform".
At this year's plenary meeting of the People's Liberation Army and Armed Police Force delegation, President Xi said that reform in emerging fields should be highlighted as a key point in further comprehensively deepening reform, and an innovation ecosystem that is independent, self-reliant, open and integrated, and full of vitality should be built to better promote Building strategic capabilities in emerging areas.
Last year at the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force, President Xi pointed out that to consolidate and improve the integrated national strategic system and capabilities, reform and innovation must be the driving force.
This year is another important year for comprehensively deepening reforms, and the main task is to plan for further comprehensively deepening reforms.
To comprehensively enhance strategic capabilities in emerging fields, we need to make good use of the key strategy of reform.
△Flags flying in the Great Hall of the People.
(Photographed by CCTV reporter Liu Qi)
A strong country must have a strong army, and a strong army can ensure national security.
One year ago, on March 13, 2023, President Xi Jinping solemnly declared at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress that “we must comprehensively promote the modernization of national defense and the military and build the people’s army into a force that effectively safeguards national sovereignty, security, and development interests.” The Great Wall of Steel.”
Under the guidance of Xi Jinping’s Thought on Strengthening the Army, the People’s Army will comprehensively improve its strategic capabilities in emerging fields, answer questions about the future, and forge a winning force!