On the afternoon of December 28th, the Ministry of National Defense held a regular press conference, and Senior Colonel Wu Qian, Director of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of National Defense and spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, answered questions.

Reporter:The media are concerned that China’s military diplomacy has been carried out in a vivid way this year and achieved fruitful results. Please tell us more about the situation.

Wu Qian:2023 is the first year to fully implement the spirit of the 20th Party Congress. The military diplomacy work thoroughly implements the supreme leader’s thought of strengthening the army, thoroughly implements the diplomatic thought of the supreme leader, takes the diplomacy of the head of state as the guide, takes high-level exchanges as the starting point, takes pragmatic cooperation as the key, takes the multilateral platform as the highlight, keeps the integrity, innovates and bravely moves forward, comprehensively promotes international military cooperation to improve quality and efficiency and achieve high-quality development.

First, effectively serve the overall situation of political diplomacy.Under the guidance of the diplomatic strategy of the head of state, the leaders of the Central Military Commission carried out strategic communication and deepened strategic cooperation with the defense departments and military leaders of Russia, the United States, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, South Africa and other countries. China’s armed forces have strengthened consultation and dialogue with the armed forces of relevant countries, expanded pragmatic cooperation, and actively promoted the diplomatic achievements of the head of state in the field of international military cooperation.

Second, resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and development interests.In view of the negative and erroneous remarks and acts of infringement and provocation of individual countries on the Taiwan Province issue and the South China Sea issue, while organizing rights protection actions in accordance with the law and regulations, we should effectively carry out diplomatic negotiations, promptly and forcefully refute them, show China’s solemn position, and warn and expose foreign negative trends.

The third is to actively expand foreign-related military operations.We organized and implemented 34 joint training leagues such as "North Joint -2023", "Peace Friendship -2023", "Golden Dragon -2023" and "Friendship Shield -2023" between China and Laos, expanded multi-bilateral training cooperation platforms, deepened mutual trust and cooperation with the armed forces of relevant countries, and made positive contributions to maintaining regional stability.

The fourth is to innovate and carry out multilateral diplomatic activities.Hold the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, the 3rd China-Africa Peace and Security Forum, etc. to explore peaceful solutions to hot issues and create a paradigm of international security cooperation; Participate in multilateral activities such as the shangri-la dialogue Conference, the SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting, and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Expansion Meeting, actively explain major ideas such as global security initiatives, and unite the consensus of the international community on peaceful cooperation.

The fifth is to serve and build a community of human destiny.The "Square Boat" hospital ship visited Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, East Timor and other five countries. The PLA medical experts were stationed in Zambia, Cambodia, Laos and other countries to provide medical services to local people. The Air Force transports -20 aircraft to Afghanistan, Nepal and other countries to carry out humanitarian rescue missions; Naval ship formations went to Sudan for emergency evacuation; Actively participate in peacekeeping, escort and other actions to continuously provide public safety products to the international community.

For peace, go to the world. Guided by the Supreme Leader’s New Era Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought, China’s armed forces have always been committed to expanding and deepening foreign military relations, strengthening pragmatic exchanges and cooperation, and making due contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.

Wu Qian: The year 2023 marks the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles laid down at the 20th CPC National Congress. On military diplomacy, we　acted on　Xi Jinping Thought on Strengthening the Military　and Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy, followed the guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, took high-level exchanges　as important means, focused on practical cooperation and gave emphasis to 　multilateral　platforms. We have broken new ground, forged ahead with enterprise and fortitude, enhanced the quality and efficiency of international military cooperation and achieve　high-quality development.

First, military diplomacy served　the overall political and diplomatic objectives　of China. Under the strategic　guidance of head-of-state diplomacy, leaders of the Central Military Commission　(CMC) had strategic communication with defense and military leaders　of Russia, the United States,　Vietnam, 　Cambodia,　Pakistan, 　South Africa, etc., and deepened bilateral strategic cooperation. The Chinese military enhanced consultation and dialogue and expanded practical　cooperation　with relevant militaries to put into practice the achievements of head-of-state diplomacy.

Second, military diplomacy　resolutely safeguarded　national sovereignty, security and development　interests. In response to the negative and wrong rhetoric and infringements and provocations　made by　certain　countries on　the Taiwan　question and the South China Sea　issue, while taking actions to protect our rights in accordance with laws and regulations, the Chinese military also made diplomatic　representations, and timely refuted, warned and exposed the wrongdoings and negative moves of relevant countries, and made clear China’s positions through MND spokesperson and the media.

Thirdly, we have expanded foreign-related military operations. The PLA　organized and conducted 34　joint training, exercises　and international military games including　the China-Russia “Beibu Unity-2023”　joint exercise, the “Aman youyi-2023”　joint exercise with southeast Asian countries, the China-Cambodia “Golden Dragon 2023” joint exercise, the China-Laos　“Friendship Shield-2023” joint exercise. Through expanded bilateral and multilateral　exercises and training, the PLA has deepened　mutual trust and cooperation with the militaries of relevant countries, and played a positive role in maintaining regional　stability.

Fourthly, we have made　innovative　efforts　in multilateral diplomacy. The tenth Beijing　Xiangshan Forum and the third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum hosted by China were widely attended and welcomed. We attended mu ltilateral events including the Shangri-La　dialogue, the　Defense　Ministers’　Meeting　of the Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+), and actively introduced major initiatives　such as the Global Security Initiative　and promoted international consensus for peace and cooperation.

Fifthly, we have contributed to　building　a community with a shared future for mankind. The PLAN Ark Peace 　hospital　ship　visited Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, and　Timor-Leste. The　Chinese military medical expert teams continued to work in Zambia, Cambodia and Laos, and provided medical service to the local people. PLA Air Force Y-20 transport aircraft carried out humanitarian relief missions to Afghanistan and Nep al.　PLA Navy vessels rushed to Sudan to evacuate Chinese nationals. The Chinese military also actively participated　in UN peacekeeping　and　vessel prote ction operations, consistently providing public security goods to the international community.

Embracing the world for peace, the Chinese military will always follow the guidance of　Xi Jinping　Thought　on　Socialism　with　Chinese　Characteristics　for a New Era, and stay committed　to expanding　and deepening　relations with foreign militaries,　strengthening　practical exchanges and cooperation, and　making　due contributions to world peace and common development.

　　Core reading

　　Learning thoughts, strengthening party spirit, emphasizing practice and building new achievements are the general requirements for studying and implementing the theme education of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era. To firmly grasp this general requirement, we should deeply understand its significance, comprehensively grasp its rich connotation, and effectively run it through the whole process of theme education, so as to promote the theme education to achieve tangible results.

　　Focusing on leading cadres at or above the county level, it is an important measure to carry out in-depth study and implementation of the theme education of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era throughout the Party. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed at the theme education work conference: "This theme education should be firmly grasped ‘ Learn ideas, strengthen party spirit, emphasize practice and make new contributions ’ The general requirements. " To firmly grasp the general requirements of theme education, we must deeply understand its significance, comprehensively grasp its rich connotation, and effectively run it through the whole process of theme education, so as to promote the theme education to achieve tangible results.

　　Deeply understand the significance of the general requirements of theme education

　　Learning thoughts, strengthening party spirit, emphasizing practice and making new contributions profoundly reflect our Party’s consistent requirements of adhering to the combination of understanding and practice, linking theory with practice, and unifying the transformation of the subjective world with the transformation of the objective world, which is highly ideological, targeted and instructive. To firmly grasp the general requirements of theme education, we should deeply understand its significance from the level of integrating learning, thinking and application and unifying knowledge, belief and practice.

　　Education guides the vast number of party member and cadres to thoroughly clean up the ideological roots, consolidate the foundation and cultivate the yuan. Having the guidance of Marxist scientific theory is the root of our party’s firm belief and historical initiative. Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era is Marxism in contemporary China and Marxism in the 21st century. We must persist in forging ahead with Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era. Carrying out the general requirements of theme education aims to promote the study and implementation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era, which is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively strengthening the party’s ideological construction in the new era and new journey, so that the whole party can always maintain a unified thought, firm will, coordinated actions and strong combat effectiveness. Firmly grasping the general requirements of theme education is conducive to educating and guiding party member and cadres to deeply understand the decisive significance of "two establishment", enhancing "four consciousnesses", strengthening "four self-confidences" and achieving "two maintenance", constantly improving political judgment, political understanding and political execution, and always maintaining a high degree of consistency with the CPC Central Committee with the supreme leader as the core.

　　Education guides the vast number of party member and cadres to boost their spirits and be determined to forge ahead. General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out: "Studying and implementing Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era is the fundamental requirement for the new era and new journey to create a new situation in career development." In the new era and new journey, faced with complicated international and domestic situations, arduous and arduous tasks of reform, development and stability, and all kinds of uncertain and unpredictable risk challenges, it is urgent for party member and cadres, especially leading cadres at all levels, to further study and implement the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, which is the main consideration for the CPC Central Committee to decide to carry out this theme education throughout the party. The general requirement of theme education is to unify the party’s innovative theory study, party spirit cultivation, practice training and innovation bureau, which is conducive to educating and guiding the party member and cadres to establish a correct view of power, achievements and career, enhance their sense of responsibility and mission, continuously improve their ability to promote high-quality development, serve the masses, prevent and resolve risks, and strengthen the cultivation of struggle spirit and struggle skills. This provides a path guide for better transforming the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era into a powerful force for strengthening ideals, tempering party spirit, guiding practice and promoting work.

　　Education guides Party organizations at all levels and party member and cadres to continuously enhance the Party’s ability of self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation and self-improvement. The General Secretary of the Supreme Leader stressed: "It is necessary to strike while the iron is hot. The key to China’s success lies in the party. The key lies in the party’s management of the party and its comprehensive and strict management." While fully affirming the remarkable achievements made by the party and the state, Report to the 20th CPC National Congress of the Party pointed out that there are still some shortcomings in our work and many difficulties and problems, such as "some party member and cadres lack the spirit of responsibility, their fighting skills are not strong, their spirit of hard work is insufficient, and formalism and bureaucracy are still outstanding". The general requirements of theme education reflect the thinking and methods of building souls, enhancing wisdom, rectifying the wind and promoting work by learning, which is conducive to educating and guiding the vast number of party member and cadres to carry forward the spirit of self-revolution. In accordance with the general requirements of theme education, Party organizations at all levels and the vast number of party member and cadres should check the deficiencies, find the gaps, be clear about the direction, accept political physical examination, clean up the political dust, correct the behavioral deviation, and solve the outstanding problems in impure thinking and organization. Only in this way can we continuously enhance the Party’s abilities of self-purification, self-improvement, self-innovation and self-improvement, so that our Party will always be full of vigor and vitality and become the strong leadership core of Socialism with Chinese characteristics’s cause.

　　Fully grasp the rich connotation of the general requirements of theme education

　　The general requirement of theme education is a closely linked, interconnected and internally unified whole. We should fully grasp the rich connotation of the general requirements of theme education and be clear about every aspect of it.

　　To study thought is to comprehensively study and understand the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. Every step forward in the party’s theoretical innovation, the theoretical armed forces will follow. To comprehensively study and understand the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, we should not only comprehensively and systematically grasp the basic viewpoints and scientific system of this important thought, but also grasp the world outlook and methodology of this important thought, and adhere to and make good use of the standpoints and methods that run through it, and also integrate the study and understanding of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era with the study of the basic principles of Marxism. With the study of the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, and the history of socialist development, with the rich practice of great struggle, construction of great projects, promotion of great undertakings, and realization of great dreams in the new era, we can accurately grasp the theoretical logic, historical logic, and practical logic of this important thought, so as to continuously enhance the political identity, ideological identity, theoretical identity, and emotional identity of the Party’s innovation theory, and consciously use the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era to guide all work.

　　Strengthening Party spirit means consciously transforming the subjective world with Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era. Party spirit is the cornerstone for party member and cadres to establish themselves, establish their careers, make their own statements and establish themselves. The firmness in party spirit cannot be separated from the firmness in theory. Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era not only contains the important thought of the Party governing the country, but also runs through the requirements of the Communist Party of China (CPC) people’s political character, value pursuit, spiritual realm and work style. To consciously transform the subjective world with Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era, we must profoundly understand a series of requirements of this important thought, such as strengthening ideals and beliefs, enhancing ideological realm, strengthening party spirit training, etc., unify understanding principles, seeking truth, and being reasonable, build a solid foundation of faith, supplement the calcium of spirit, and keep the rudder of thought steady, and always maintain the political nature of communist party people.

　　Emphasizing practice means consciously practicing the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. The purpose of studying the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era is to apply it. Consciously practicing the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, we should adhere to the style of study of integrating theory with practice, and adhere to the orientation of problem, practice and demand, so as to truly turn the world outlook, methodology and standpoint and method of this important thought into our own ideological weapon. It is necessary to closely integrate the new era, new practice and new requirements, closely integrate thoughts and work practice, and more consciously use this important thought to guide and solve practical problems, transform the objective world and promote career development. In this way, we can actively change in practice, solve various contradictions in economic and social development and party building, prevent and resolve major risks, and promote Chinese modernization.

　　To build new achievements is to learn the wisdom and strength of striving for progress from Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the new era. Realizing the goal and task of the new era and new journey puts forward new and higher requirements for the party’s ability to lead socialist modernization, and puts forward new and higher requirements for the mental state, ability and quality, and style image of leading cadres at all levels. To learn the wisdom and strength of striving for progress from the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, we must master the leadership methods, thinking methods and working methods contained in it, constantly improve our ability and level of performing our duties and responsibilities, and constantly improve our ability to use this important thought to guide us to cope with major challenges, resist major risks, overcome major obstacles, resolve major contradictions and solve major problems. Only in this way can the whole party make concerted efforts to promote development, persevere in implementation and make contributions based on their posts on the new journey of building a strong country and national rejuvenation, and create achievements that can stand the test of history and the people.

　　Effectively run the general requirements of theme education through the whole process of theme education.

　　All party member should resolutely implement the general requirements of theme education. Only by carrying out the general requirements of theme education to the letter and running it through the whole process of theme education can we ensure the solid development of theme education and achieve tangible results.

　　Adhere to the unity of comprehensively and systematically grasping the basic viewpoints and scientific system of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era with the world outlook, methodology and standpoint and method running through this important thought. Report to the 20th CPC National Congress of the Communist Party of China summed up the main contents of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era with "Ten Definitions", "Fourteen Persistences" and "Thirteen Achievements", put forward "Six Persistences", and summarized the world outlook, methodology and standpoint and method of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. The general requirements of theme education should run through the whole process of theme education, so as to truly understand the supreme leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era. We should master the basic ideas of this important thought in an all-round way and the scientific system of this important thought as a whole, and better understand its essence by accurately grasping the world outlook, methodology and standpoint and method running through it. Only in this way can we stand tall in understanding the problem, see it deeply in analyzing it, and carry out our work accurately.

　　Adhere to the unity of transforming the subjective world with the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era and transforming the objective world. The Communist Party of China (CPC) people never study theory for window dressing, but to transform the subjective world and the objective world. The general requirements of theme education should run through the whole process of theme education, and it is particularly important to turn Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era into a powerful ideological weapon to transform the subjective world and the objective world. Party member, cadres, especially leading cadres at all levels, should take the initiative to put their own thoughts into it, learn and master the Party’s innovative theory about Do not forget your initiative mind, keep in mind the mission, be "the leader of the country", improve political judgment, political understanding, political execution, "three strictness and three realities", be loyal and clean, and be pragmatic and clean for the people, and so on. It is necessary to internalize the world outlook, methodology, standpoints and methods of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era and externalize them in practice, closely focus on the party’s central task in the new era and new journey, and make a good start for building a socialist modern country in an all-round way with new weather and new actions.

　　Persist in unifying the study and implementation of Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era with the implementation of the major strategic plan put forward by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. The new ideas, new ideas, new strategies and specific requirements put forward by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in various fields can only be understood and grasped in the whole scientific system of the Supreme Leader’s Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era, and can they be deeply understood and effectively implemented. We should make the general requirements of theme education run through the whole process of theme education. We should be better at observing, grasping and leading the times by using Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought of the Supreme Leader in the New Era, making new progress and breakthroughs in Chinese modernization by using this important thought, solving various contradictions and problems in economic and social development by using this important thought, preventing and resolving major risks by using this important thought, and deepening the comprehensive and strict management of the party by using this important thought. Ensure that the whole Party is united in its efforts to achieve the goals and tasks set by the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China under the scientific guidance of the Supreme Leader Socialism with Chinese characteristics Thought in the new era.

　　(Written by Guo Rucai)

　　People’s Daily (May 11, 2023, 09 edition)