China military official warns of ‘erroneous ideological trends’ spreading in PLA

Head of air force political work unit says ‘hostile forces’ are exerting more influence in the country

He calls for a culture of loyalty to the ruling Communist Party and Xi Jinping and a ‘dare to fight’ spirit

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Published: 8:00pm, 7 Dec 2023Updated: 12:19am, 8 Dec 2023

“Hostile forces” are exerting more influence in China, leading to the spread of misguided ideas in the military, according to a senior official with the People’s Liberation Army.

Chen Zuosong, director of the political work department for the Southern Theatre Command Air Force, made the remarks in a long article in Study Times, the Central Party School’s official newspaper, on Wednesday.

Under the headline “Build cultural soft power that is compatible with a world-class military”, Chen outlined the ideological risks facing the PLA and called for a culture of “absolute loyalty” to the ruling Communist Party and a “dare to fight” spirit.

“Thoughts and sentiments in our country’s society are becoming increasingly active and complex. The changes in information technology have brought an increasing number of variables and hidden dangers to the ideological field,” Chen wrote.

“Hostile forces have increased cognitive penetration and destruction, and various erroneous ideological trends and arguments have … spread into military camps.”

Chen – from the military command that oversees the South China Sea – also called for troops to be guided to oppose such ideas.

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