A People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Daily article stressed that Party organizations must maintain political leadership throughout combat operations as the PLA increasingly conducts prolonged combat readiness and training missions. The article warns that some units treat Party work as a formality or separate it from combat training, weakening organizational cohesion, operational coordination, and the role of Party members. It argues that Party organizations must remain actively engaged wherever military operations are conducted.
The article cites a combined-arms battalion of the 76th Group Army as an example. During one exercise, when infantry and fire-support units reached an operational impasse, the battalion’s Party Secretary personally led Party-member cadres in reassessing the battlefield situation and developing a revised coordination plan, enabling the infantry to seize the simulated enemy position. Later, during a pause in the exercise, he delivered a “micro Party lesson” to frontline personnel, emphasizing that political work should provide continuous ideological and psychological support throughout military operations rather than serving as a one-time pre-mission mobilization.
In another exercise, dispersed personnel from different companies temporarily lost unified command after coming under simulated enemy attack. The battalion Party Secretary ordered the establishment of temporary Party branches and Party groups to restore command and control, monitor personnel, bolster morale, and coordinate defensive operations. They thus won the battle.
Source: People’s Daily, July 28, 2026
http://dangjian.people.com.cn/n1/2026/0728/c117092-40769317.html