Chen Zuosong, director of the political work department of the Southern Theater Command Air Force, made the remarks Wednesday in a lengthy article in Study Times, the official newspaper of the Central Party School.
“Thoughts and feelings in our country’s society are becoming more and more active and complex. Changes in information technology have brought an increasing number of variables and hidden dangers into the ideological realm,” Chen wrote.
“Hostile forces have increased cognitive penetration and destruction, and various erroneous ideological trends and arguments have… spread in military camps. »
Xi, who also heads the party’s Central Military Commission, has set a goal for the PLA to become a “world-class” army by mid-century.
During a military inspection earlier this year, Xi said the PLA must “dare to fight” and improve training at a time of increased security instability and uncertainty.
Chinese warships visit controversial Cambodian naval base for joint exercise
Chinese warships visit controversial Cambodian naval base for joint exercise
In Wednesday’s article, Chen said the military should take “a comprehensive view of the informatization trend and intelligent military revolution, recognizing the times and trends of ‘the West is strong and l ‘East is weak; the East is rising and the West is declining.’
He said the military must be patient, confident and loyal to both the party and Xi.
The senior official also said the military should “make good use of the enemy’s actual presence and major tasks” to actively train troops and foster a will-to-fight attitude.
Chen said the PLA should improve its publicity skills by expressing itself in an “acceptable” way to the outside world to give a “true and complete” image of the Chinese military.
