【赓续长征精神 奋进复兴征程】传承红色血脉 打好实现建军一百年奋斗目标攻坚战

CCTV.com reports (Xinwen Lianbo): President Xi Jinping profoundly pointed out: “To carry forward the great Long March spirit and successfully travel today's Long March road, we must build a solid national defense and strong armed forces commensurate with our country's international standing and suited to its national security and development interests, and strive with unwavering determination to safeguard national security and world peace.” In the new era and on the new journey, the people's armed forces are vigorously carrying forward the great Long March spirit, fulfilling their original aspiration and mission, and concentrating on training and combat readiness. Reborn through revolutionary transformation, they are making every effort to win the tough battle to achieve the armed forces' centenary goals and are advancing courageously toward the Party's goal of building strong armed forces in the new era.

Before every major mission, officers and soldiers of the “Red Fourth Company” solemnly take an oath before half a leather belt bearing the branded words “Record of the Long March.” In July 1936, when the company's predecessor, the 8th Company of the 274th Regiment of the Fourth Front Army of the Red Army, was crossing the grasslands, the entire company ran out of food. Zhou Guangcai, a soldier aged just 14, took out his cowhide belt and shared it with his comrades to stave off hunger. He treasured the remaining half, agreeing that they would take it with them to find the Party Central Committee and meet Chairman Mao.

In January 2016, while inspecting troops, President Xi said with deep feeling before the “Half a Leather Belt” display case in a military history museum: “This is the power of faith, a vivid illustration of ‘following the Party with an iron will.’”

“Following the Party with an iron will” has never been merely a slogan; it is the soul of the people's armed forces that has never faded over nearly a century. From the ideological awakening of the Gutian Conference to the spiritual tempering of the Yan'an Rectification Movement, and from the renewed resolve of the All-Army Political Work Conference to the forging of conviction at the Central Military Commission Political Work Conference, the people's armed forces have become stronger, purer and more combat-capable through rectification and training.

On the oceans, China's first 10,000-ton-class destroyer, the Nanchang, demonstrates loyalty as it advances into the deep blue, achieving multiple firsts in the history of the people's navy. Across the vast skies, officers and soldiers of an air force aviation regiment fly Y-20 aircraft on missions time and again at a moment's notice, always ensuring that they “battle through the skies with hearts devoted to the Party, flying ten thousand li without losing course.” Deep in the mountains, officers and soldiers of a Rocket Force brigade work anonymously to build homes for the nation's mighty swords, engraving their loyalty on the positions that launch “Dongfeng” missiles into the sky.

Every morning, officers and soldiers of the “Dadu River Company” of a brigade under the Army's 74th Group Army loudly call out the names of 17 brave soldiers. Ninety-one years ago, the Central Red Army reached the banks of the Dadu River, with a natural barrier ahead and pursuers behind, its survival hanging by a thread. Led by battalion commander Sun Jixian, 17 brave soldiers from the company's predecessor crossed the raging current in two groups under heavy gunfire. With help from their comrades and boatmen, they opened a route for the Red Army to head north. That courage has transcended time and lives on in today's officers and soldiers.

During the Long March, the Red Army crossed nearly 100 rivers, climbed more than 40 high mountains and steep peaks, and fought more than 600 campaigns and battles, forging with their lives the fighting spirit to dare to fight and be certain of victory. In summarizing and explaining the historical lessons of the Long March's victory, President Xi emphasized the need to maintain an unwavering focus on preparing for war and fighting, uphold combat effectiveness as the sole and fundamental criterion, expand and deepen preparations for military struggle, strengthen realistic combat training, and accelerate improvements in the ability to win informationized warfare. Today, naval and air force ships and aircraft respond decisively when confronted with provocations by formidable adversaries, and the Eastern Theater Command conducts successive joint exercises to strongly deter “Taiwan independence” separatist acts. Officers and soldiers throughout the armed forces are full of courage and fighting spirit, confident and capable of defeating any invading enemy.

The thematic exhibition “The Great Expedition,” currently open at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, has drawn a surge of visits by military personnel, many from units with heroic Long March histories. Their guide is Zhu Shuhua, great-granddaughter of Xu Jiexiu, the woman at the center of the Long March story of half a quilt. In November 1934, as the Red Army passed through Shazhou Yao Village in Hunan during the Long March, three female Red Army soldiers stayed at Xu Jiexiu's home. Seeing the elderly woman's difficult circumstances, they cut their only quilt in half before leaving and gave her one half. In the autumn of 2020, during an inspection tour of Hunan, President Xi said with deep feeling at the “Warmth of Half a Quilt” exhibition hall: “Our army is the people's army. The bond between us Communists and ordinary people is the bond of sharing a quilt.”

History tells us that with the people's support, their wishes aligned and their strength united, the people's armed forces can be invincible. From fighting the epidemic to tackling poverty, from earthquake relief to flood response, and from supporting local economic and social development to helping local authorities maintain overall social stability, officers and soldiers throughout the armed forces have always remained the people's own troops, trusted, supported and loved by the people.

The journey is long, and only hard work will carry us forward. Following the direction set by their commander-in-chief, the glorious people's armed forces will surely carry forward the great Long March spirit forever, uphold political guidance, strengthen their commitment to their mission, and courageously overcome difficulties. They will ensure that the armed forces' centenary goals are achieved on schedule, providing strong strategic support for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.