Army Brigade Subsidiary Food Procurement Bidding Halted Over Suspected Bid Rigging, Military Paper States: Every Penny Must Be Spent Where It Counts Most

How can AI · Wind Supervisor ensure full transparency in the use of funds throughout the process?

Recently, a unit of the 71st Group Army organized grassroots wind supervisors and quartermasters to swear allegiance to the Party flag.

Every penny, every cent, flows pure and clear; in the smallest details, integrity prevails.

Not long ago, reporters followed a wind supervisor to the “Sanwan Reorganization Site” in Yongxin, Jiangxi, and paused in front of a mud house. Guide Li Qingqing explained that Mao Zedong led the Autumn Harvest Uprising troops here to carry out the Sanwan Reorganization. He established soldier committees at all levels below the regiment to oversee economic expenditures and safeguard the rights of officers and soldiers. In the Central Soviet Area, Mao Zedong emphasized that “corruption and waste are serious crimes,” calling for “saving every copper coin for the war and revolutionary cause.”

“Today, as we advance on the new journey of strengthening the military, we still need to save ‘every copper coin’ and use every penny wisely,” a wind supervisor deeply felt. “Every time we train, we scrutinize the use of funds and track effectiveness. When funds are managed well and conduct is clean, our confidence in winning is even greater.”

Starting from Sanwan Village, the reporter followed the wind supervisor into various military camps, experiencing the new atmosphere of improved political training and troop fund management.

Every penny is spent transparently in the sunlight

In the early morning in southern Jiangnan, light fog drifts.

Entering an office of an Army unit, wind supervisor Wang Pengfei is logging into the online supervision platform. An automatic pop-up from the online procurement office reads: “The second request for outdoor training equipment this quarter shows a significant increase; please verify.”

Wang Pengfei immediately contacts the company responsible for the tenth company. Under his supervision, the quartermaster takes out procurement explanations, bidding and price comparison records, and receipt and storage records—showing that to meet the new practical training requirements, the company needs to supplement high-wear equipment. The process is clear, and the documentation is complete.

After review, Wang Pengfei reports “approved” on the platform and continues to supervise the subsequent procurement process. Soon, the entire process—from early warning, verification, to account settlement—is displayed on the platform homepage and the company’s electronic display.

“Funds are traceable in real-time and fully accountable throughout the process. Now, every penny spent by the troops is visible and explainable,” the unit leader said. To address previous issues of lax enforcement and circumvention in fund use, the party committee system has clarified responsibilities across planning, procurement, approval, and disbursement, explicitly defining “who approves and how to use” and identifying “where loss of control is easy and how to prevent it,” forming a clear responsibility and authority list.

“Deepening political training continuously promotes upward and positive troop conduct,” the leader added. They regularly organize financial management personnel and wind supervisors for “integrity checks” and “integrity training”; set up online disciplinary inspection mailboxes, 24-hour supervision hotlines, and online supervision platforms to ensure channels for democratic oversight, comprehensively supervising the use of money and power.

Clicking on the electronic display, a public notice catches the eye: a certain battalion had applied for equipment maintenance supplies, but the wind supervisor found biased bidding clauses and immediately stopped the process. The battalion explained it was due to urgent training tasks, but the supervision team firmly responded: “Urgent tasks are not a reason to break rules!” The next day, the supervision team coordinated with the operations department to revise the clauses on-site, and the equipment arrived on time.

“Following rules in spending and transparency in exercising power are our military’s fine traditions,” Wang Pengfei said, recalling his visit to the Nanniwan Memorial Hall in Yan’an—

In 1942, with the harvest in sight, the 359th Brigade established a detailed and strict expenditure system. Every month, the brigade posted income and expenditure, grain distribution, farm tools procurement, and even daily meat standards on the bulletin boards of each camp, making every transaction transparent and traceable.

Once, a platoon leader claimed excessive subsidies for farm tool repairs, which was questioned by soldiers. After investigation, the platoon leader was disciplined. The brigade leaders sternly warned: “Transparent accounts mean expenses are exposed to sunlight; everyone supervising means exercising power under public scrutiny.” Since then, “transparent accounts and everyone supervising” became a widespread practice across the brigade.

Turning the lens of history, today the “Sunshine Ledger” continues to evolve in form but remains consistent in essence—

On the North Jiangsu Plain, the reporter listened to a video bidding session for subsidiary food supplies of an Army unit. Wind supervisor Huang Huasheng noticed that two companies’ representatives had identical local addresses and similar bid documents, suspected of collusion, and immediately called a halt.

How can a soldier stop a bidding process? The head of the Army Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department explained that since deepening political training, they have strengthened the authority of systems and responsibilities, making it clear that once violations are suspected, regardless of rank, anyone has the right to question and stop the process.

“Putting power into the cage of systems depends on real implementation and serious scrutiny,” a supervisor said. “Now, with clear procedures and transparent links, officers and soldiers are clear-minded, and the military’s conduct is more upright.”

Every penny is spent on critical needs

Recently, during an air-ground confrontation drill, drone operators continuously changed formations to break through, increasing pressure on radar operators.

During a break, wind supervisor Han Shidong told the reporter: “These drones are assembled and innovated by officers and soldiers themselves, and have become combat-ready in less than half a year.”

Last year, during a review of training exercises, a company found that the demand for drones was increasing, but the cost of purchasing professional training target drones was high and not included in the annual budget.

“Instead of waiting for next year’s budget, why not innovate ourselves?” engineer Zhang Chi’s proposal resonated with the troops. “Self-innovation not only reduces costs but also precisely meets training needs,” “only key parts are purchased, and fund approval is more convenient”… Soon, a low-cost, easy-to-operate, targeted drone innovation plan was submitted to the authorities.

This “unplanned” application was quickly prioritized as a key project. The authorities actively provided support, prioritizing funding and resources. Ultimately, multiple drones meeting combat needs were successfully launched.

“Building combat capability has no ‘gap period’; resource support must accelerate,” said Yao Jin, head of the brigade’s finance department. Since deepening political training, the brigade has firmly established the orientation of “resources focusing on readiness and funds serving combat,” decisively reducing expenditures unrelated to combat power, and establishing a “spend with accountability and question inefficiency” mechanism to turn support capacity into combat effectiveness.

“Hard work and frugality have always been vital weapons for the People’s Army to overcome difficulties and grow,” the brigade organized soldiers to trace their roots and revisit stories of ancestors meticulously saving and ensuring victory during tough times—

During the anti-encirclement campaigns in the Soviet area, resources were extremely scarce. Zhao Rong, the supply minister of the Red 9th Army, devised ways to save costs. To save fabric, he personally redesigned the “eight-pointed hat” into a “six-pointed hat,” reducing fabric use from 1 foot 1 inch to 9 inches per hat; during uniform sewing, details like collars and cuffs were optimized to avoid waste.

During the Anti-Japanese War, Zhao Rong served as the supply minister of the Jin-Cha-Ji Military District. Amidst the Japanese “sweeps” and extreme shortages of clothing and food, he organized campaigns for increased production and conservation. In 1943, when the army urgently needed 20,000 pairs of military shoes, he led soldiers to dismantle old cotton clothes to make soles, turning waste into treasure and solving an urgent problem.

Soldiers realized that promoting the fine tradition of thrift in the army is not about “spending less” or “doing less with less,” but about meticulous planning, making every penny count, and maximizing limited resources to enhance combat power.

First-class Sergeant Gao Gaolei, who is both a wind supervisor and a member of the “Soldier Expert Workstation,” showed the reporter a detailed account of last year’s command fund usage: 96% of the annual flexible funds were used for training facilities like simulation rooms, smart shooting ranges, and duty stations.

Resources are tilted toward the battlefield, and results are transformed into combat effectiveness. Since last year, the brigade’s soldiers have obtained 12 national patents and set 11 military training records.

“Spending funds more precisely on combat focus!” From the Central Plains to the coastal frontlines, the reporter followed the wind supervisor into more training grounds, witnessing more new scenes.

Off the coast of the South China Sea, a piercing damage control alarm suddenly sounds. Soldiers from a Navy unit rush toward a deep green container building—an intelligent damage control training platform they built themselves.

After recording training data, Liu Yongbo, the wind supervisor, explained the origin of the platform: “In the past, damage control training required traveling far away, coordinating difficult and time-consuming; relying on local construction, the cost was beyond our capacity. The battalion decided to cut other non-urgent projects and focus resources on self-developed solutions.”

After eight months of hard work—sifting sand and gravel, learning to pour concrete—the soldiers solved environmental, transportation, and integration challenges. With less than one-third of the market price investment, they built a training platform that meets real combat needs, improving emergency response speed by about 40%.

Every penny is used to its fullest

In Qianling, spring breeze, cool and gentle.

Entering an Air Force squadron, wind supervisor Tang Maoxiang shows the year-end report—funding execution rate exceeds 90%, with funds efficiently supporting frontline training and logistics.

Tang Maoxiang recalled that two years ago, he noticed that a drying shed was damaged but not repaired promptly, and some fitness equipment had “broken and awaiting repair” tags. Soldiers’ lives were inconvenienced, yet the accounts showed surplus funds.

“Why wasn’t it repaired in time?” the material procurement officer explained: “Some worried about reimbursement deadlines at year-end, cumbersome procedures, and layered approvals, so they planned to handle it next year; others had a ‘wait and rely’ mindset, reporting issues they could solve themselves.”

“Ultimately, it’s a lack of sense of responsibility and a mindset of ‘avoiding trouble and doing nothing’.” The unit leader pointed out sharply. “Whether we dare to spend money and how we spend it reflect responsibility and test our original mission.”

In a discussion and analysis meeting, soldiers revisited the heroic days of the Air Force’s founding—

In 1949, shortly after the Pingjin Campaign, Liu Yalou was tasked with forming the People’s Air Force. At that time, funds were extremely tight, but he decisively prioritized ensuring fuel and aircraft spare parts. “Classrooms could be simple, training aids could be substituted, but pilot training could not be delayed for a moment.”

It was this boldness—daring to use resources for battle and taking responsibility—that enabled the People’s Air Force to take off amid difficulties and grow through war. By 1953, 28 aviation divisions had been established, forming an integrated combat and training system with supporting logistics.

“Money shortages are never the biggest obstacle; lack of responsibility is the greatest barrier to victory.” The deeper the discussion, the clearer the soldiers became: today’s conditions are far better than those of the past, and the spirit of daring to take responsibility and act well from predecessors must be carried forward.

Subsequently, the unit’s party committee combined ideological guidance with institutional safeguards. They launched a campaign titled “Make Every Penny Count, Fulfill Every Responsibility,” to eliminate the mentality of “fear of mistakes and responsibility,” and systematically improved fund use regulations, establishing clear responsibility and accountability lists, especially refining the fault-tolerance and correction mechanisms to relieve burdens on responsible personnel and support practical efforts.

“Now, it’s about ‘spending as needed, calculating carefully, and achieving benefits’.” Tang Maoxiang listed the new changes since political training deepened: units set up “‘Five Small Workers’ Night School,” where officers and soldiers repair doors, windows, and pipelines themselves, saving over 100,000 yuan annually; the repair factory established a special “incubation fund,” forming a technological innovation team, encouraging small inventions and innovations; the previous reliance on “waiting and depending” for equipment shortages has shifted to proactive actions; delayed maintenance of camp facilities is now responded to promptly…

Following Tang Maoxiang into a squadron, squadron leader Hong Chao told the reporter that now, units have more autonomy, small expenses are handled quickly, and urgent projects can go through “green channels,” allowing soldiers to focus more on training.

The reporter reviewed the new year’s training plan and saw that the grassroots application for “self-initiated improvements” projects increased by nearly 40% compared to last year. From upgrading simulation training to replenishing outdoor training equipment, every budget item targets combat power gaps, and every investment aligns with real combat needs.

Outside the window, fighter jets roar into the sky. Control tower commands are clear, the apron is orderly, and officers and soldiers are highly motivated. They said, “This spirit of daring to act not only shows in taking responsibility for every penny but also in the actions of training and preparing for battle—daring to tackle difficulties and strive to be first.”

Journalist’s Note

Good Winds Blow, Unity Builds Power

Chairman Xi Jinping emphasized at the plenary session of the 14th National People’s Congress: “Strengthen full-chain management and performance evaluation of fund use, and ensure every penny is used effectively.”

“History shows that frugality leads to success, extravagance to failure.” Since its founding, our military has adhered to the fine traditions of hard work and thrift—self-reliance, repairing old equipment, turning waste into treasure, meticulous budgeting, living frugally, and condemning waste. As political training deepens, soldiers’ minds are cleared, and misconduct in conduct and fund management is gradually eliminated, significantly improving efficiency.

Good winds blow, and unity gathers strength. Managing finances requires not only legal compliance but also integrity, a focus on war readiness, daring management, and pragmatic effectiveness. Only through these can we further strengthen military governance and create a new chapter of high-quality development.

Source: PLA Daily