(July 10, 1952)
President Liu of the Military Academy, all commanders, political officers, logistics personnel, and instructors of the Academy, together with all cadets who have just graduated from the first classes of the Advanced Rapid-Training Program and the Higher-Level Rapid-Training Program:
The People’s Liberation Army Military Academy, which marks one of the great transformations in the history of the Chinese people’s military building, has now completed the study period for its first classes of the Advanced Rapid-Training Program and the Higher-Level Rapid-Training Program, and a graduation ceremony is being held. I hereby extend my enthusiastic congratulations.
The establishment of the Military Academy and its educational work over the past year and more have made an important contribution to building a regularized, modernized national defense force. This achievement is the result of President Liu’s efforts, the hard work of all Soviet advisors, as well as the concerted and unified efforts of all commanders, political officers, logistics personnel, instructors, and cadets. I would like to express my gratitude and words of encouragement to you all.
The Chinese people’s military-building journey has already spanned twenty-five long years, and the richness of our revolutionary experience is unparalleled internationally except in the Soviet Union. However, before the Chinese people achieved nationwide victory,
due to limitations imposed by objective material conditions, our military construction remained at a relatively low stage—characterized by simple and inferior equipment, irregular organization and systems, lack of strict military discipline, decentralized and uncoordinated command during operations, and a pronounced guerrilla character. These features were inevitable and even necessary at that time; therefore, they were justified.
[I]
This is the address delivered by Mao Zedong, Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government. Mao designated President Liu Bocheng of the Military Academy to read it on behalf of the Military Commission to the graduating class of the first sessions of the Academy’s Advanced Rapid-Training Program and Higher-Level Rapid-Training Program.

But
since the Chinese people attained nationwide victory, the objective circumstances have fundamentally changed. We have now entered an advanced stage of military construction—one that requires mastering modern technology. The objective conditions are fully in place to make this possible; all that remains is tireless subjective effort, which will surely lead to success. In line with modern equipment, we must strive for a highly standardized military structure: unified command, uniform regulations, consistent organizational design, stringent discipline, and centralized training. We also need to ensure close inter-service coordination. To accomplish this, we must overcome those very characteristics that were once appropriate but are now obsolete—namely, decentralization, lack of unity, lax discipline, simplistic approaches, and guerrilla habits—and instead cultivate greater organization, planning, precision, and discipline throughout our operations and command, beginning with education and training. These are among the essential prerequisites for building a regularized, modernized national defense force.
At the same time, conducting complex, highly mechanized, modern campaigns and battles requires sound, intelligent, scientifically organized, and properly staffed headquarters. The previous type of weak, inefficient, and often wholly inadequate headquarters must be significantly strengthened. The former practice of emphasizing political work—while rightly continuing to do so—while neglecting staff functions must be resolutely reversed. Likewise, the tendency to assign individuals who were relatively weak in organizational ability, had made mistakes, or lacked initiative to serve in headquarters positions, thereby undermining the authority of the headquarters and discouraging some commanders from taking on chief-of-staff or staff roles, must be fundamentally corrected. Henceforth, outstanding commanders endowed with strong organizational and leadership skills should be selected for headquarters posts at all levels, so as to instill a new style and spirit within these organs. This too is one of the crucial requirements for constructing a regularized, modernized national defense force.
To all commanders, political officers, logistics personnel, instructors, and both graduating and current students of the Military Academy: The Military Commission hopes that you will continue to exert yourselves in the noble cause of building a regularized, modernized national defense force, and that through your efforts, the spirit of regularization and modernization will be carried forward into every unit of our armed forces.
Mao Zedong, Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission of the Central People’s Government
July 10, 1952