Along the vast borderlines of the motherland, stretching thousands of miles, numerous outposts stand tall, roads wind and extend, and border villages take on a new look. From the snowy plateaus to the northern grasslands, from the southwestern dense forests to the northeastern woodlands, a magnificent picture of "solid border defense, secure border areas, and prosperous border residents" is gradually unfolding. Modern border and coastal defense construction is steadily advancing toward the deep integration of "consolidating borders, revitalizing borders, and enriching people."

From "Fragmented Management" to "Systemic Integration" — A Comprehensive Leap

Border defense solidity lies in strength; strength lies in the system. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the Party Central Committee, the State Council, and the Central Military Commission have coordinated the outcomes of the reform of Party and state institutions, as well as the reform of the military's scale, structure, and force composition. Adhering to the principles of clear responsibilities, rational structure, lean and capable forces, and overall coordination, they have continuously optimized the force structure of China's border and coastal defense, achieving a historic reshaping of the border and coastal defense system. In Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, military and local authorities have jointly undertaken the pilot task of strengthening border defense and gradually established a "five-in-one" border control system: "the Party committee sets the direction, the government coordinates overall, the military acts as the backbone, the police handle governance, and the masses form the foundation." Over the past decade, military and local authorities have continuously improved relevant measures, building a three-dimensional security barrier along the border. In the northern borderlands, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has constructed a three-tier border defense work organization and management system at the regional, league, and banner levels, forming a joint defense command and coordination mechanism involving the provincial military command system, border defense troops stationed in the region, armed police forces, and immigration management agencies. This has established a working pattern of joint military-police duty, police-local joint defense, and inter-force collaboration. In recent years, border and coastal defense reserve forces have been closely aligned with the diverse mission requirements of the new era, reshaping their formation models and continuously expanding the boundaries of their functions and tasks. This has resulted in a construction pattern where standing forces and reserve forces are arranged in echelons, complementing and coordinating with each other. Along the land border, professional militia teams for border reconnaissance, blockade and control, and emergency repair are regularly strengthened. Various border and coastal regions have developed a series of mature practices in the selection, recruitment, management, and preferential treatment of border guards and patrol personnel. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region regularly organizes border guards to conduct border patrols and policy advocacy, vigorously promoting models such as "border guard stations," "border police service stations," and "horseback patrol teams."

From "Traditional Defense" to "Intelligent Control" — A Transformation

The change in border defense lies in the foundation; the change in the foundation lies in technology. Over the past decade or more, the state has continuously promoted specialized construction for border and coastal defense, coordinating the overall layout of standardized duty and control facilities across land borders, coastal lines, and port passages. It has accumulated the construction of tens of thousands of kilometers of border and coastal defense duty roads, simultaneously supporting and improving various front-line duty and observation points. This includes the construction of duty docks, helipads, and watchtowers, as well as the large-scale deployment of nearly 10,000 kilometers of fixed and mobile barrier facilities across the region. Today, the vast majority of border defense companies and front-line duty outposts are connected by vehicle-accessible patrol roads, ending the era of relying solely on foot patrols. In most border defense outposts in Tibet, new barracks are equipped with oxygen supply and generation systems, full mobile phone signal coverage, and smart vegetable cellars to ensure a supply of fresh vegetables. Hundreds of border defense outposts have undergone barracks renovation and have been connected to the national power grid. "In the past, the well water was full of sediment and had to be settled before drinking; now we have 24-hour purified water. In the past, a hot bath was a luxury; now we can take one anytime," said a veteran border guard from Tibet with 19 years of service. Modern training facilities, study rooms, and medical rooms have become standard for front-line border defense companies. Through telemedicine systems, border defense personnel can have "face-to-face" consultations with experts from medical systems thousands of miles away. Amid the dramatic changes in infrastructure, the most exciting development is the rise of "smart border defense." In recent years, border defense forces have strengthened technological empowerment, advancing to new levels in intelligent control, equipment transformation, and comprehensive support. The thousands of miles of border are accelerating their transformation from traditional defense to intelligent control. The network information system is continuously being densified, enabling border control to achieve a new leap from "information islands" to "unified network coverage." On the morning of August 6, the duty officer of a border defense company stationed in Dandong, Liaoning Province, detected a suspicious person entering a warning zone through an electronic monitoring system. A drone was immediately deployed to verify the situation, and the entire process was completed in just a few minutes. This scene is a microcosm of the achievements of the modernization of border defense forces. Today, intelligent imaging systems are deployed throughout defense areas, enabling companies to achieve real-time command, visualized monitoring, and efficient response. Border situation handling has shifted from "passive response" to "active detection." Monitoring centers have been built along the border, with nearly 10,000 kilometers of transmission lines laid, connecting previously communication-poor areas such as deep mountains, Gobi deserts, remote seas, and isolated islands. This has established a stable, reliable, low-latency, and high-capacity border defense communication foundation. Zhejiang Province has built a three-dimensional intelligent control system, promoting the coordinated development of human, physical, technological, and intelligent defense. By integrating data resources from sea-related units, it has achieved "one-cloud sharing" of coastal defense information and "one-map presentation" of the control situation. Zhejiang is also promoting pilot projects for new technologies such as drones, unmanned boats, and electromagnetic detection, empowering and enhancing traditional control methods, and serving the front-line control needs of public security and coast guard units, successfully creating a "smart coastal defense brain." Several border provinces in South China and Northeast China are actively building "digital fortresses." Pingxiang City in Guangxi has established a "technology-intelligence defense + human-dense defense" three-dimensional prevention and control network covering all border routes, boundary markers, and key road sections. High-altitude watchtowers, border patrol drones, intelligent early warning checkpoints, and AI video analysis systems work together to form a "land, water, and air" three-dimensional prevention and control framework. From high-altitude drones to ground-based remote sensors, from radar early warning systems to optical observation devices, a "space-air-ground integrated, multi-dimensional coverage" three-dimensional network is fully in place. The new generation of individual soldier integrated combat systems incorporates multiple modules for protection, observation, and more. Border defense personnel can receive commands and report situations in real time via handheld smart terminals. In the past, they relied on "iron legs" and binoculars; now, they rely on "data links" and "long-range eyes." Border duty is transitioning from "foot-measuring" to a new stage of "technology-assisted duty."

From "Pure Border Defense" to "Revitalizing Borders and Enriching People" — A Leap Forward

For border defense to be consolidated, development is key; for border areas to develop, industry is the support. A batch of border duty roads, border highways, and power and water transmission lines have been connected with scattered residential areas along the border. Border barrier facilities have reduced the risk of border residents accidentally crossing the border during farming or herding. The foundation for developing characteristic and advantageous industries such as border trade, cross-border tourism, and island development has been further strengthened. In Jilin, the G331 border tourism thoroughfare officially opened to traffic in September 2025. This "golden link" winding along the Yalu River is not only a strategic road for stabilizing and consolidating the border but also a road for enriching people through the integration of transportation and tourism, and a window for opening up and cooperation. In the first half of this year, the G331 route received over 2 million tourists. Residents of border villages are truly benefiting from the "tourism economy" by investing in homestays, opening specialty restaurants, and selling agricultural and specialty products. In Inner Mongolia, the action to revitalize borders and enrich people has also yielded fruitful results. During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, Inner Mongolia held the "Private Enterprises Entering Border Areas · Inner Mongolia Trip" activity, promoting the integrated construction of "water, electricity, roads, and communications" infrastructure in border areas, opening up the "capillaries" of rural and pastoral areas. It has built thousands of water supply wells and installed wind-solar hybrid equipment for tens of thousands of farming and herding households. Serving the "Belt and Road" initiative is also an important mission of border and coastal defense. China has signed cooperative documents with neighboring countries for the joint construction of the "Belt and Road," regularly conducting meetings, friendly visits, joint inspections, and joint training exercises. It has established and improved mechanisms for security risk prevention and joint handling of emergencies. The Horgos border port in Xinjiang, as a key node of the China-Kazakhstan economic corridor, has deeply participated in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road," becoming a powerful engine for opening up. Today, it is transforming from a remote border town into an international hub. "Preparing the border and strengthening the military is a major state affair." The reshaping of the force system has consolidated the foundation for border defense, the dramatic changes in infrastructure have reshaped the form of border defense, and the practice of revitalizing borders and enriching people has activated the vitality of border areas. A solid border, a secure border area, and happy border residents—this new-era border painting is being meticulously drawn, stroke by stroke, by millions of border defenders.