Strengthening national defense and the armed forces

Since the launch of reform and opening-up, China has made constant progress in building a more revolutionary, modernized, and standardized military and enhancing its national defense capabilities. This has provided reliable security guarantees for China's reform, development, and stability. The Central Committee has stressed that a country needs a strong military before it can truly be strong and secure. China must build fortified national defense and a strong people's military commensurate with its international standing and its security and development interests.

The Party has set objectives for strengthening the military and defined China's military strategy for the new era. It has formulated the following three-step development strategy for modernizing national defense and the armed forces: achieving the centenary objectives of the People's Liberation Army by 2027; basically completing the modernization of national defense and the armed forces by 2035;and fully transforming the armed forces into world-class forces by the mid-21st century.

Since the Party's 18th National Congress, the people's military has been through an all-around revolutionary restructuring under the firm leadership of the Party in preparation for the next stage, while our defense capabilities have grown in step with our economic strength. Integration of national strategic systems and capabilities has accelerated, sound administrative and support systems for ex-service members have been established, defense mobilization has become more efficient, and greater unity has been cultivated between the military and the government and between the military and civilians. Firmly carrying out the missions of the new era, the people's military has taken concrete actions to safeguard our national sovereignty, security, and development interests with an indomitable fighting spirit.

Safeguarding national security

Since the launch of reform and opening-up, the Party has def ined safeguarding national security and social stability as a fundamental task for the Party and the country in order to cultivate a sound security environment for reform, opening-up, and socialist modernization. In the new era, China is faced with more acute national security challenges, as evidenced by unprecedented external pressure, intertwined traditional and non-traditional security threats, and frequent "black swan" and "grey rhino" events. China's ability to safeguard national security falls short of what is required of us by the current circumstances and tasks.

The Central Committee has stressed that the most fundamental and universal desire of our people is to live in a safe and peaceful nation. We must always be prepared for worst-case scenarios and mindful of potential dangers. We must uphold the primacy of our national interests and take the people's security as our ultimate goal, political security as our fundamental task, economic security as our foundation, military, technological, cultural, and social security as means of guarantee, and international security as the support. We must find a balance between development and security, between opening-up and security, between traditional and non-traditional security, between China's domestic security and the common security of the world, and between safeguarding national security and creating conditions conducive to it.

Since the 18th National Congress, national security has been enhanced on all fronts and many political, economic, ideological and natural risks, challenges, and trials have been overcome. This has helped ensure that the Party and the country thrive and enjoy lasting stability.