Xi Jinping says “the soul of building a strong army” is party’s absolute leadership over military

A South China Morning Post review reports that President Xi Jinping told senior officers at a 2014 military political work conference in Gutian—where Mao Zedong in 1929 laid the groundwork for Party control of the armed forces—that the PLA’s strength rests on total Communist Party command. The remark revived a doctrine central to Beijing’s military policy. As the PLA approaches its centenary, that doctrine is being applied through sweeping institutional changes and an extensive anti-corruption drive. Senior commanders, including some Central Military Commission vice-chairmen and former defense ministers, have been removed, expelled, or given suspended death sentences after corruption probes. The campaign, analysts say, aims to ensure military leaders remain politically reliable and loyal to the Party.