Political Military Building Leads the 15th Five-Year Plan: The Modernization of the People's Liberation Army Enters a New Stage

On March 7, 2026, President Xi Jinping attended the plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army and the Armed Police Force at the Fourth Session of the 14th National People's Congress and delivered an important speech. This marks a new historical milestone for China's defense and military modernization at the beginning of the 15th Five-Year Plan. The speech not only clarified the core direction of military construction for the next five years but also provided a clear roadmap for achieving the centenary goal of building the military by 2027.

In his speech, President Xi emphasized the need to fully leverage the unique advantages of political military building, uniting efforts to promote the steady and long-term modernization of national defense and the military. This core requirement reflects the fundamental principle that the construction of the Chinese military must always adhere to political leadership in the context of a complex international security environment. The General Office of the Central Military Commission promptly issued a notice requiring the incorporation of the spirit of the conference into the theoretical study of party committees at the regiment level and above, cadre theoretical training, ideological and political education for troops, and political theory teaching in military academies. This top-down learning mechanism ensures the effectiveness and consistency of policy transmission.

The formulation and implementation of the 15th Five-Year Plan have become the top priority in current military construction. According to the deployment of the Central Military Commission, the entire military will adhere to the principle of training led by combat and promoting combat through training, strengthening realistic military training, and accelerating the integration of system combat capabilities. This approach reflects the pragmatic attitude of the People's Liberation Army on the path of military modernization, emphasizing the overall enhancement of systematic combat capabilities rather than pursuing breakthroughs in single equipment or technology.

It is noteworthy that the military electronics industry plays a crucial role in this round of modernization. A research report released by AVIC Securities in March 2026 pointed out that under the background of cultivating new types of combat capabilities, the military electronics industry is ushering in new development opportunities. The demand for intelligent and unmanned military electronics continues to expand, with significant growth in areas such as military chips and high-end sensors.

The reasonable growth of the defense expenditure budget provides material support for military modernization. Although China's defense expenditure budget in 2026 has increased, its proportion of GDP has long been below 1.5%, far lower than that of military powers like the United States. This reasonable, moderate, and restrained growth characteristic not only meets the needs of military construction but also fully considers the overall economic development of the country. In contrast, Japan's defense budget has increased for 14 consecutive years, with a growth rate exceeding 60% in the past five years, and defense spending as a percentage of GDP reaching 2%, with the per capita defense expenditure of its citizens being more than three times that of China.

The strategy of military-civilian integration development will be further deepened during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. The entire military plans to organize over 700 units to conduct more than 2,100 military open house activities in 2026. The construction of talent teams has become a key support to ensure the achievement of the 15th Five-Year Plan goals. From a geopolitical perspective, the external environment facing the modernization of the People's Liberation Army is becoming increasingly complex, with ongoing disputes in the South China Sea and a still-sensitive situation in the Taiwan Strait.

Looking ahead, the 15th Five-Year Plan period will be a critical five years for the People's Liberation Army to sprint towards the centenary goal of building the military. The principles of political military building, reforming and strengthening the military, strengthening the military through science and technology, strengthening the military through talent, and governing the military according to law will not change, but there will be a greater emphasis on quality rather than quantity. As a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense stated: the stronger the Chinese military becomes, the more secure world peace will be.