D. Kawah Mahmoud
On August 1, 2026, the National Liberation Army (PLA) will celebrate its 99th anniversary and enter its centenary year, traversing a history rich with achievements, heroism, and immense sacrifices. It has weathered harsh trials, fulfilling its national duty by prioritizing the interests of the people, defending their destiny and future, and serving as the primary and trusted arm of the nation's defense under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
Throughout this journey, the PLA, through its conscious discipline and the Party's unwavering commitment to its leadership, has become a key player in maintaining regional and international stability. This has been achieved by strengthening its defense readiness and developing its technological and strategic capabilities, adapting to the evolving global landscape of security and civil defense.
Today, amidst the rapid changes and complexities of the political landscape, and the astonishingly swift advancements in science and technology and their impact on the military, it is crucial to acknowledge the heroic history of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and its pivotal role in the nation's history. This history began on August 1, 1927, with the Nanchang Uprising, led by the Communist Party of China against the Kuomintang government. This uprising served as the initial spark for the PLA's formation. Between 1934 and 1935, the PLA withstood several campaigns waged against it by Chiang Kai-shek and participated in the Long March withdrawal.
Over the years, the PLA has achieved remarkable feats in liberating China from Japanese occupation, establishing the People's Republic of China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, safeguarding national sovereignty, and defending the territorial integrity and unity of the Chinese nation. The Chinese Army Day is an opportunity to appreciate the sacrifices made by soldiers in defending the homeland. It also serves as an occasion to strengthen patriotism and reinforce the principles of discipline and loyalty. The Communist Party of China, recognizing changes at all levels, has emphasized the importance of developing the military's capabilities, readiness, and political training. In leading and advancing the cause of strengthening the army since the 18th National Congress, and through the documents of the 19th and 20th Congresses of the Communist Party of China, the Central Committee of the Party and the Central Military Commission have reaffirmed the Party's absolute leadership over the army. They have promoted the new development of the army's strength by strengthening modern military governance, advancing high-quality development, and fostering intellectual freedom and innovative work methods.
The preparations for the centenary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army are based on the existing and ongoing connection between China's comprehensive modernization and the army's role as a key instrument in this process. This includes strengthening strategic emerging industries and developing a new type of combat force. At the Political Work Conference of the Central Military Commission in Yan'an on June 17, 2024, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, Comrade Xi Jinping, emphasized key principles for "implementing the comprehensive program for the political building of the military in the new era and providing a firm political guarantee for the cause of strengthening the military."
The General Secretary stressed that "political work is always the lifeblood of the military." He also pointed to the importance of focusing on six key areas in the new path of political building the military, which can be summarized as follows: First, strengthening awareness and radicalism in ideological reform; second, enhancing the leadership, organizational, and operational capabilities of Party organizations; third, strengthening the cadre building to implement the Party's organizational line in the new era; fourth, eradicating the breeding grounds and conditions of corruption; fifth, boosting morale for entrepreneurship and dynamically addressing the problems of formalism and bureaucracy; and sixth, restoring and maximizing the positive traditions of political work. On the ninety-ninth anniversary of the founding of the National Liberation Army, and the beginning of the centenary of its founding, we must point out the importance of the trends in raising the level of modernization in the fields of national defense and the army in a comprehensive manner as one of the basic guarantees for regional and international stability, in addition to the importance of the army sector in the experience of building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the present era, and the fact that this experience is a product of the Chinese people and the struggle experience of the Communist Party of China, but at the same time it belongs to the world and is a basic incentive in enriching the path of development and modernization of a new type on the global level.
