The Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army (commonly referred to as the "Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army") was an anti-Japanese armed force established and led by the Communist Party of China, composed of people from various ethnic groups in Northeast China. In his important speech at the symposium on promoting the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China in the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “We must vigorously carry forward the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, the Daqing Spirit (the ‘Iron Man’ Spirit), and the Beidahuang Spirit, guide Party members and cadres to establish a correct view of political achievements, and inspire their enthusiasm for work and entrepreneurship.” This profound statement clearly underscores that firm ideals and convictions are the vital spiritual pillar. The reason why the soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army of those years resolutely and courageously stepped forward to meet national adversity, overcame tremendous hardships and difficulties to persist in the war of resistance for a long time, and remained steadfast and unyielding even in the face of torture and death, fundamentally stemmed from their unwavering loyalty to the Party. During his inspection tour in Jilin, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “We must treat these red resources as vivid teaching materials for strengthening our ideals and convictions and enhancing our Party spirit. We should organize broad masses of Party members and cadres to study deeply the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening-up, and the history of socialist development, so as to educate and guide them to always keep their original aspirations and shoulder their missions with unwavering commitment.” In the Northeast region, the history of the struggle of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army undoubtedly represents the richest accumulation of red resources, characterized by the most distinctive features and possessing the most unique value. To thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech, we must closely integrate it with the practical experience of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s struggle, deeply analyze the underlying logic behind the formation of its ideals and convictions, and provide profound theoretical insights and practical guidance for today’s Party members and cadres to carry forward the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, consolidate the foundation of their faith, replenish their spiritual “calcium,” and steer their ideological course firmly.

One

“Belief or disbelief” serves as the logical starting point for establishing ideals and convictions. It requires Party members and cadres, both in their theoretical understanding and emotional experience, to deeply recognize the historical inevitability and moral nobility of the lofty communist ideal and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics. At present, some Party members and cadres have wavering ideals and convictions; the primary root of this problem lies precisely in the absence of faith—failure to grasp the dialectical relationship between ideals and reality. Historical materialism holds that social existence determines social consciousness, yet social consciousness possesses relative independence and exerts an active, reciprocal influence on social existence. In other words, ideals arise from reality, but they should transcend reality and lead its transformation. To confuse ideals with reality is to undermine the ideals’ transcendence and guiding power. The core aspiration of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army was to overthrow Japanese imperialism and build a new China—a goal that has long since been realized. Yet at the time, there remained a significant gap between that ideal and the harsh realities faced then. The natural environment during the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s resistance was exceptionally severe: logistical supplies were extremely scarce, the disparity in troop strength was staggering, and the duration of the struggle was unprecedentedly long—even by the standards of human warfare history. Faced with these tremendous hardships, the vast majority of soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army remained steadfast and unyielding, their faith as solid as rock. On the eve of his death, Yang Jingyu, commander-in-chief of the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, had only a few guards left by his side. Sharing a bowl of porridge cooked with snow water along with his soldiers, he calmly told his guards: “Even if all of us here were to sacrifice ourselves, others would still carry forward our cause. The revolution will always triumph.” Even in adversity, Yang Jingyu retained an unwavering belief in the ultimate victory of the resistance. During his inspection tour of Jilin Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping remarked: “During the War of Resistance Against Japan, under extremely harsh conditions, General Yang Jingyu led the anti-Japanese armed forces to fight bravely against enemies several times their number, braving temperatures as low as minus forty degrees Celsius. When he died, his stomach contained nothing but dried grass, tree bark, and cotton stuffing—not a single grain of food. His story is truly awe-inspiring.” With his fervent passion and a stomach full of dried grass, Yang Jingyu embodied the firm ideals and convictions of a Communist Party member. Had the soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army given up the struggle back then because of the enormous gap between their ideals and reality, there would never have been the legendary tale of this heroic force, nor could we possibly speak of the inheritance of the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. The history of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army profoundly reminds us that lofty ideals are by no means an escape from real-world difficulties; rather, they serve as the spiritual driving force that breaks through historical limitations. Only by firmly establishing the foundation of “belief” at the cognitive level can the beacon of ideals and convictions truly illuminate the path ahead.

Two

“Whether or not to act” represents the logical endpoint of putting ideals and convictions into practice. It calls upon Party members and cadres to internalize their lofty beliefs deeply within their hearts and translate them into concrete actions, consciously fulfilling their original aspirations and missions. Looking back at history, after the September 18 Incident, the nation was humiliated, the people suffered, and civilization was tarnished. Faced with choices between home and country, life and death, wealth and poverty, comfort and hardship, the vast ranks of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army resolutely shouldered the historic responsibility of rescuing the nation from peril and delivering our fellow compatriots from fire and water. With their own flesh and blood, they composed a magnificent epic in which “revolutionary ideals soar higher than the heavens.” Among the members of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army were professional revolutionaries, university professors, students—even those like Feng Zhongyun, political commissar of the Third Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, who had entered Tsinghua University’s mathematics department at age 18 and began teaching at the Harbin Merchant Marine School at age 22. When the nation faced crisis, he resolutely abandoned his comfortable life and rushed to the anti-Japanese battlefield, enduring icy cold, sleeping on snow-covered ground, going hungry, and narrowly escaping death again and again. Yang Jingyu bid farewell to his closest relatives for the sake of the revolutionary cause; Wei Zhengmin traveled thousands of miles only to die in a secret camp while ill; and the “red capitalist” Zhu Shouyi even sold off his family property to support the struggle, joining the ranks of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army. The heroic spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army soldiers, bravely stepping forward to meet the nation’s dire challenges, is a true reflection of how ideals and convictions can be transformed into practical actions for national salvation. The history of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army profoundly demonstrates: To firmly uphold ideals and convictions, we must not only harbor lofty aspirations but also put them into action; we must not only internalize them deeply within our hearts but also externalize them through concrete deeds. Today, we must heed deeply the admonition that “empty talk harms the country,” and forever maintain the resolve that “practical work strengthens the nation.” Only by achieving a high degree of unity between knowledge and action in the great cause of national rejuvenation can we truly embody the firm ideals and convictions of Communists on this new journey and in this new era.

Three

“How long we can hold on” serves as the logical fulcrum through which our ideals and convictions are put to the test. It calls upon Party members and cadres to fuse their intellectual recognition of truth and their conscious commitment to their mission into an unyielding, indomitable will—a quality that enables them to demonstrate the resilience and steadfastness of their faith amid prolonged struggles and complex challenges. Looking back at the arduous and extraordinary years of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, one episode is particularly moving: In late autumn of 1939, when supplies had been completely cut off, Zhou Baozhong, commander-in-chief of the Second Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, faced a situation in which some soldiers, driven to utter despair, requested to leave the ranks. Rather than forcing them to stay, he gathered the few remaining comrades and solemnly—but firmly—declared: “Right now, we truly stand at a life-or-death crossroads. It’s already deep autumn; we can’t even eat the grass anymore, and we’ve got no cotton-padded clothes left. We may starve to death or freeze to death. If they want to leave, comrades, make your own decision: those who wish to go may go, as long as they leave their guns behind—they’re free to seek their own way out. Even if I, Zhou Baozhong, am the only one left, I’ll fight against Japan to the very end!” Upon hearing these words, the entire assembly was deeply moved. Instantly, all 120 men rose to their feet in unison, shouting in one voice: “We’re not leaving! Even if we die, we’ll die together with Commander Zhou!” Back then, confronted with extraordinarily harsh conditions, some did indeed retreat and became deserters—precisely highlighting the unwavering resolve of Zhou Baozhong and others. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: “It’s easy to find one’s original aspiration, but difficult to keep it constant.” Whether it’s the life-and-death trials during the revolutionary war years or the tests of power during the period of peaceful development, at their core they both represent the ultimate test of our will—the question of “how long we can hold on”—which hinges on the resilience of our faith. Only by continually strengthening the foundations of our faith through the tempering of time and the refining process of complex struggles can we ensure that our ideals and convictions remain firm and enduring over the long term.

Looking back at history, the soldiers of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, despite facing extremely arduous conditions and almost no hope of victory, remained steadfast in their convictions and fought bravely to the death. Today, to vigorously promote the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, we must first solidify the foundation of our beliefs and earnestly address the ideological question of “whether we truly believe”; second, we must strengthen our commitment to practical action and effectively tackle the practical issue of “whether we truly act”; and finally, we must cultivate perseverance and resilience to continuously overcome the challenge of “how long we can sustain our efforts.” Only by transforming firm ideals and convictions into a persistent, hardworking practice that rises to every challenge can we open up a brand-new chapter in the great cause of national rejuvenation and strength.