Poster How to Improve the Rule of Law in National Defense and Army Building —— On thoroughly studying and implementing the supreme leader’s thought of strengthening the army
Improve the rule of law in national defense and army building
— — On comprehensively and thoroughly studying and implementing the supreme leader’s thought of strengthening the army
■ Commentator of Liberation Army Daily
"Managing the army according to law is the basic way for our party to build and manage the army. We must build a military rule of law system with China characteristics, promote a fundamental change in the way of managing the army, and improve the level of rule of law in national defense and army building." The important connotation of the supreme leader’s thought of strengthening the army profoundly answers the important issue of the rule of law guarantee for strengthening and rejuvenating the army.
On December 26, 2020, the newly revised national defense law was reviewed and approved. Around this time, a series of military laws and regulations, such as common regulations, Armed Police Law, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Army Party Building Regulations, Joint Operations Program, Army Political Work Regulations, Army Logistics Regulations, Army Equipment Regulations, Retired Soldiers Protection Law, Soldiers’ Status and Rights Protection Law, Military Service Law, have been intensively promulgated, and the military rule of law system with China characteristics is becoming more and more complete.
Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee has incorporated the rule of law into the overall plan of governing the country according to law. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee made important arrangements for the rule of law, and the Central Military Commission specially formulated the decision to further promote the rule of law and strictly manage the army under the new situation. The Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee proposed to implement the strategy of administering the army according to law. The People’s Army has accelerated the construction of a military rule of law system with China characteristics, accelerated the fundamental transformation of the way of running the army, persisted in enforcing the rule of law and strict military discipline, and made significant progress in the practice of running the army according to law.
A modern army must be an army ruled by law. Managing the army according to law is the basic way for our party to build and manage the army, and it is an inevitable requirement for realizing the party’s goal of strengthening the army in the new era. To implement the strategy of administering the army according to law, we must adhere to the Party’s absolute leadership over the army, the standard of combat effectiveness, the construction of a military rule of law system with China characteristics, the transformation of the way of administering the army according to the requirements of the rule of law, the strict management of the army, the "key minority" of leading cadres, the dominant position of officers and soldiers, the requirement of comprehensively administering the country according to law, the improvement of the rule of law in national defense and army building, and the strong guarantee of the rule of law for promoting the cause of strengthening the army.
Promote development and ensure good governance with good laws. To build a military rule of law system with China characteristics, we must innovate and develop the theory and practice of governing the army according to law, and form a systematic, strict and efficient system of military laws and regulations, military rule of law implementation, military rule of law supervision and military rule of law guarantee, so as to speed up the process of our army’s rule of law.
Laws must be observed and the rule of law must be believed. It is necessary to strengthen the army’s belief and thinking in the rule of law, carry out in-depth publicity and education on the rule of law, incorporate the education and training of the rule of law into the army’s education and training system, take the cultivation of the spirit of the rule of law as an important part of the construction of a strong military culture, and guide the broad masses of officers and men to internalize the rule of law into political beliefs and moral cultivation, and externalize it into codes of conduct and conscious actions. Enhance the legal literacy of officers and men, safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and rely on the officers and men of the whole army to jointly build, enforce and safeguard the rule of law.
To improve the level of rule of law in national defense and army building requires a profound change in the way of running the army, and a fundamental change from relying solely on administrative orders to administration according to law, from relying solely on habits and experience to relying on laws and regulations, and from grasping work by surprise and sports to doing things according to rules and regulations, thus forming a good situation in which party committees make decisions according to law, organs give guidance according to law, troops act according to law, and officers and men perform their duties according to law.
Managing officials and powers according to law is the key to managing the army according to law. Leading cadres at all levels, especially those at all levels, should take the lead in respecting the law and abiding by the law, so as to be timid, keep words and stop doing things, and consciously be the leader in running the army according to law. Study hard the laws, regulations and rules, clarify the legal red line, act in strict accordance with principles, policies, rules and procedures, use power correctly, prudently and cleanly according to rules, and think, make decisions and do things under the rule of law to ensure that power runs on the rule of law.
Running the army according to law depends on the joint efforts of the whole army. All levels, especially high-level organs, should change their functions, styles and working methods to improve work efficiency and organizational effectiveness. Make great efforts to rectify the "five excesses" and improve the scientific and effective work guidance. Improve the modern management level, strictly enforce the education management of the army, prevent and overcome the subjective arbitrariness in work, prevent and overcome the phenomena of lax management, loose style and lax discipline, and maintain the regular combat readiness, training, work and life order of the army.
The more modern the army is, the more informationized it is, and the more it needs to be ruled by law. At the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, it is proposed to strengthen the mechanism construction and strategic planning of running the army according to law and improve the military rule of law system with China characteristics. The whole army should fully implement the strategy of administering the army according to law, make overall plans, highlight key points, and promote overall progress with key breakthroughs. It is necessary to deepen the military legislation, fight the tough battle of policy system reform, do a good job in the implementation of laws and regulations, strengthen the supervision of the implementation of laws and regulations, strengthen the rule of law in foreign-related military affairs, and promote the revolutionary modernization and regularization of our army to a higher level.