The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.

Dual Support Publicity | Supporting the Military and Benefiting the People, Supporting the Government and Loving the People — Dual Support Knowledge Promotion

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2025-06-26

What is “double support”?

“Double Support” refers to supporting the military and honoring families of service members, as well as supporting the government and loving the people. 。

The first “ Model Township for Supporting the Military and Caring for Families of Servicemen ” Where is it?

In January 1934, Caixi Township in Shanghang County, Fujian Province, was awarded the title of “Model Township for Supporting the Army and Caring for Families of Servicemen” in the Soviet Area.

What is the “Double Support” campaign?

The “Double Support” movement is an abbreviated term for local efforts to support the military and their families, as well as the military’s efforts to support the government and the people. First launched in Yan’an in January 1943, it was championed by Comrade Mao Zedong and has since continued to grow, becoming a fine tradition shared by the entire Party, the entire armed forces, and the people of the whole country.

What does “supporting the military and honoring their families” mean?

It refers to the support shown by local Party committees, governments, and the general public for the People’s Armed Forces, as well as the preferential treatment accorded to the families of revolutionary martyrs and revolutionary servicemen. Supporting the military and honoring their families is a regular social endeavor through which the state, society, and the people provide both moral and material assistance to the People’s Armed Forces, and it is an excellent tradition of our Party and our country.

What does “support the government and love the people” mean?

It refers to the army’s support for the people’s government, its care for the people, and its active contribution to local economic and social development. This is a glorious tradition of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, vividly embodying the principle of the people’s army serving the people wholeheartedly, as well as the principles of unity between the military and the government and between the military and the people. 。

In the new historical period, what are the main components of the work of supporting the military and the people?

Conduct extensive national defense education to strengthen public awareness of supporting the military; select and recruit high-quality recruits for the armed forces, and assist the People’s Liberation Army in building a strong national defense; support the military’s reforms and development, and help it accomplish combat and training missions; protect military facilities and show respect and care for the armed forces; receive and properly resettle demobilized and retired cadres, demobilized veterans, disabled veterans, and family members accompanying the military; provide proper compensation and preferential treatment to active-duty service members, disabled veterans, demobilized veterans, families of martyrs, families of service members who died in the line of duty, and families of service members who died from illness; safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of service members and their families, and resolve conflicts and disputes between the military and civilians; and launch initiatives to establish model cities (counties) for dual support and to promote socialist spiritual civilization through joint military-civilian efforts.

The armed forces exemplary implement the Party’s guidelines, principles, and policies; abide by national laws and regulations; respect local governments and support their work; safeguard social order; observe discipline in relations with the public; strictly enforce ethnic and religious policies; and respect the customs and traditions of ethnic minorities. They also actively support national and local economic development and public‑interest projects, bravely participate in emergency rescue and disaster relief efforts, and vigorously carry out poverty‑alleviation and assistance programs.

What is the status of the “double support” work?

The work of supporting the military and the people is vital to economic development and national defense, to the building of the political system and the very foundations of governance, and to social harmony and the well-being of the people. It constitutes an indispensable and distinctive component of the Party and the state’s coordinated development across the political, economic, military, cultural, and social spheres.

In what ways does the “double support” work manifest its impact?

(1) Ensure the sustained and stable development of the economy and society; (2) Guide the mainstream values of both the military and civilian sectors; (3) Harmonize and align the interests of the military, government, and civilian populations; (4) Integrate and optimize resources on both the military and civilian sides; (5) Extend influence to related fields and promote coordinated advancement.

What is the purpose of doing a good job in supporting the military and its families?

Develop local productive forces, enhance the combat effectiveness of the armed forces, and strengthen the cohesion between the military and the people.

What fundamental principles must be upheld in the work of supporting the military and its families?

The principle of unity between the military and the people, the principle of subordinating to the overall situation, and the principle of solidarity, friendship, and mutual understanding.

What other knowledge about the “double support” initiative is there? Let’s take a look together!

The meaning of the “dual support” work

The “Double Support” campaign is short for the work of “localities supporting the military and treating veterans with respect, and the military supporting the government and loving the people.” Under the leadership of the Party, it is a social initiative aimed at consolidating and strengthening unity between the military and the civilian population, mobilizing the entire nation to unite in striving for the cause of China’s revolution, construction, and reform. It profoundly reflects the deep, inseparable bond between the Chinese military and the people, vividly embodies the Party’s fundamental purpose, the nature of the state, and the true character of the People’s Army, and stands as an excellent tradition and a distinctive political advantage of the CPC, the state, and the armed forces.

The Origins of the Dual Support Work

The work of supporting the military and the people has a long historical tradition. As early as the nascent period of the Red Army, our Party and Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the idea that the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army could not do without the support of the working masses, calling on the army to cherish the people, and urging Soviet governments and the people to back the Red Army and show preferential treatment to military families.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in order to consolidate and develop the anti-Japanese base areas and broaden the united front of the Chinese nation, the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region government launched the campaign “Support the Army and Show Special Consideration to the Families of Anti-Japanese Soldiers,” while the Eighth Route Army’s Garrison Corps initiated the campaign “Support the Government and Care for the People.” These efforts improved and strengthened the military–government–civilian relations in the border region, fostering a vibrant atmosphere of unity between the military and the people and joint resistance against foreign aggression. In January 1943, Comrade Mao Zedong fully endorsed the practices of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region and called on the military and civilians in all base areas to widely carry out similar campaigns. As a result, the “double support” movement rapidly spread from Yan’an to every anti-Japanese base area, sparking an unprecedented surge of enthusiasm. This is how the well‑known anniversary of the “double support” movement came to be.

The Role of the Double Support Work

The work of supporting the military and the people has played a significant role throughout all historical periods of China’s revolution and development.

During the Liberation War, the broad masses of soldiers and civilians stood shoulder to shoulder, fighting bravely and shedding blood, and with overwhelming momentum and irresistible force, swiftly overthrew the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang. The strong unity between the military, the government, and the people fostered through the “double support” campaign played a vital role in securing victory in the New Democratic Revolution.

Since the founding of New China, and particularly since the launch of reform and opening-up, the theory underlying the “double support” work has been continuously refined, its scope has been steadily expanded, and its forms have been constantly innovated. Taking the joint endeavor of the military and civilians to build a socialist spiritual civilization as its guiding framework, enthusiasm for participating in this work has reached an unprecedented high. With the establishment of model cities (counties) for double support serving as the driving force, mass‑based double-support activities have flourished and endured over time. The military and civilian populations have worked in close cooperation on the main front of economic development, mutually reinforcing one another in the pursuit of progress across the three spheres of material, political, and spiritual civilization; they have coordinated closely in safeguarding national security, unity, and stability; and they have stood shoulder to shoulder in combating severe natural disasters and major epidemics. Through these efforts, the unity between the military, the government, and the people has demonstrated its formidable strength.

The meaning of military-civilian joint construction

“Military‑civilian co‑construction” is the abbreviated term for activities aimed at jointly building socialist spiritual civilization. In the new era, it represents an important practice through which the military and civilian populations nationwide inherit and carry forward the tradition of supporting the military and caring for the people, while vigorously promoting the advanced culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is also a key form of mass‑based initiatives to foster spiritual civilization, and an effective means of establishing and developing a new type of military‑government‑civilian relationship that embodies the spirit of socialist civilization.

Basic Principles of Military-Civilian Co-construction

In military-civilian joint construction activities, it is essential to adhere to three guiding principles: prioritizing local leadership, emphasizing mass self‑initiated efforts, and giving top priority to ideological and political work.

Conducting military-civilian joint construction activities

Specific requirements

First, we have launched “double support” initiatives with a focus on the grassroots level, emphasizing implementation and practical results. Second, we have annual plans, quarterly schedules, visits during holidays, and regular activities throughout the year. Third, all activities feature clear themes, rich content, diverse formats, broad participation, and distinct characteristics reflecting both the times and local contexts. Fourth, we have strengthened relevant systems, conducted regular inspections and summaries, and advanced the socialization, institutionalization, and normalization of “double support” work.

The meaning of “Model City (County) for Supporting the Military and the People”

A Model City (County) for Supporting the Military and the People is an advanced model that has achieved outstanding results in promoting the coordinated development of economic and national defense efforts, strengthening ties between the military and local authorities as well as between the military and the civilian population, and contributing to the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society and to the armed forces’ fulfillment of their historic mission in the new era and at the new stage. It serves as a model and exemplar, and is officially designated through a prescribed procedure, representing a shared political honor for the local Party committees, governments, commanding organs of stationed troops, and all members of the military and civilian communities.

Main contents of the dual-support work

The scope of the “double support” work is extremely broad, with varying priorities across different historical periods. During the revolutionary war years, it primarily involved assisting the People’s Army in expanding its ranks, raising funds and procuring military supplies; evacuating and safeguarding wounded soldiers; transporting military rations, weapons, and ammunition; transmitting intelligence; and ensuring efficient wartime logistics. It also encompassed providing preferential treatment to military families, offering condolences and support to the families of fallen martyrs, and extending care and encouragement to service members. Furthermore, it entailed respecting local Party committees and governments, strictly implementing Party policies and observing discipline in relations with the people, fostering deep affection for and respect toward the populace, and helping them overcome difficulties and resolve their concerns. As China’s revolutionary and developmental endeavors progressed, the content of the “double support” work has continued to grow richer, and its scope has steadily expanded.

In the new historical period, the main tasks include: conducting extensive national defense education to strengthen public awareness of supporting the armed forces; selecting and enlisting high-quality recruits to assist the People’s Liberation Army in building a strong national defense; supporting the military’s reforms and modernization, and helping it fulfill its combat and training missions; protecting military facilities and showing respect for and care toward the armed forces; receiving and properly resettling demobilized and retired cadres, demobilized veterans, wounded and disabled service members, and their accompanying family members; providing appropriate allowances and preferential treatment to active-duty servicemen, revolutionary wounded and disabled veterans, demobilized veterans, families of revolutionary martyrs, families of service members who died in the line of duty, and families of deceased service members; safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of service members and their families, and appropriately resolving conflicts and disputes between the military and civilians; launching initiatives to establish model cities (counties) for dual support and joint efforts between the military and civilian communities to foster socialist spiritual civilization; ensuring that military units conscientiously implement the Party’s guidelines, policies, and principles, and strictly abide by the Constitution, laws, and regulations of the state; respecting local governments, supporting local development, and maintaining social order; observing discipline among the masses, rigorously enforcing ethnic and religious policies, and respecting the customs and traditions of ethnic minorities; actively supporting national and local economic development and public welfare projects, bravely participating in emergency rescue and disaster relief, and vigorously carrying out poverty alleviation and assistance programs.

(1) Supporting the Military and Showing Care for Their Families

It refers to loving the People’s Armed Forces, showing concern for and supporting their development and reform, studying the fine traditions and work style of the military, doing a good job in preferential treatment and support for entitled groups, properly resettling demobilized, discharged, and transferred service members, and assisting the military in training dual‑use personnel, among other things.

(2) Supporting the government and loving the people

It refers to the army’s support for the government, its care for the people, its observance of policies, laws, regulations, and mass discipline, its respect for local cadres, its humility in learning from the people, its willingness to heed the views of local governments and the general public, and its joint efforts to build a socialist spiritual civilization.

Main Characteristics of the Dual Support Work

(1) The broad scope of the target group

The scope of the “dual support” work is extremely broad, encompassing all sectors, fronts, social strata, and organizations—both within the military and in civilian society. This breadth necessitates the joint participation of both the military and the people, and ensures that all activities under the dual‑support framework must align with the aspirations and interests of the broader military and civilian populations.

(2) The social nature of the activity

The “double support” work involves managing the relationship between the military and the government, as well as between the military and the civilian population, and its activities are distinctly social in nature. Supporting military development, resettling demobilized and retired service members, launching “double support” initiatives, participating in emergency rescue and disaster relief, and resolving conflicts between the military and civilians all require close cooperation between the two sides. This characteristic ensures that “double support” work exerts a broad social impact.

(3) Diversity of functions

The “double support” work plays a vital role in serving and safeguarding national reform, development, stability, and military building. This service‑and‑safeguarding function manifests itself in diverse ways—both direct and indirect, both immediate and long‑term. Certain activities, such as helping the armed forces resolve practical problems, organizing various forms of support for the military and their families, properly addressing conflicts between the military and civilians, supporting local economic development, and participating in emergency rescue and disaster relief, directly demonstrate the impact of this work. Moreover, through sustained, routine efforts, it strengthens ties among the military, government, and people, fosters solidarity between them, and creates a favorable social environment for national reform, development, stability, and military modernization—effects that will endure over the long term. Beyond its economic benefits, such work can also yield significant military advantages. From a political perspective, mutual support and close coordination in economic development can greatly boost social productivity; from a military standpoint, it helps inspire the patriotic enthusiasm of the general public to support the armed forces, ensures the smooth progress of military construction, and enhances the combat effectiveness of the troops.

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Editor: Deng Chao | Source of the article: China’s Double Support Magazine, Xinhuanet

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