President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at the Great Hall of the People.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on Thursday for drawing strength from the Long March spirit to overcome difficulties, tackle risks and meet challenges, and to ensure that the giant ship of China’s national rejuvenation cuts through the waves and sails steadily forward, as the country marked the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March.
Addressing a gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Xi linked the revolutionary journey nine decades ago to China’s current pursuit of national rejuvenation, describing the drive to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, and to advance national rejuvenation on all fronts through Chinese modernization, as a new Long March for the Party and the people.
Xi, who is also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said that revisiting history is about drawing wisdom and strength from it to forge ahead.
He described the Long March, a strategic military maneuver carried out by the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army of the CPC from 1934 to 1936, as an earthshaking revolutionary feat of great significance in the history of the Party, the country and the military, with a profound impact on the path toward the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
“This stirring heroic epic will forever be engraved on the monument of the Chinese revolution and remembered in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people,” he said.
The Red Army traversed more than 10 provinces on a 12,500-kilometer journey and broke through encirclement and pursuit by more than a million enemy troops, opening up a new chapter in the Chinese revolution, Xi said.
At his proposal, participants stood up and observed a moment of silence for the revolutionary heroes who gave their lives during the Long March and in revolutionary struggles across China.
Reflecting on the path to the Long March victory, Xi highlighted the Party’s correct leadership, firm revolutionary conviction, independence and a commitment to seeking truth from facts, as well as the support of the people.
He emphasized the need to integrate the basic tenets of Marxism into China’s specific realities, and to remain deeply rooted in the people, whom he described as the enduring source of strength and a strong support for the Party and the people’s armed forces.
The great spirit of the Long March, demonstrating the power of loyalty, truth, justice and unity, will always be a precious treasure and a powerful source of inspiration for overcoming difficulties and forging ahead, Xi said.
Over the past 90 years, the Party has united and led the people through one great Long March after another during revolution, construction and reform, achieving one great victory after another, he said.
Xi said the road of the Long March continues to extend. “On our new journey, we are now committed to realizing the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization,” he said.
Setting out the tasks ahead, Xi called for upholding the Party’s ideals, convictions and fundamental purpose, remaining true to its original aspiration and founding mission, and relying closely on the people to make further historic achievements.
He stressed the need to pursue high-quality development, better meet people’s growing aspirations for a better life, and promote common prosperity for all. Economic development must deliver both improvements in quality and reasonable growth in quantity, he said.
Xi also called for better coordination between development and security, and for taking the initiative to overcome difficulties, address risks and meet challenges.
On national defense, he urged faster progress toward building world-class armed forces, upholding the Party’s absolute leadership over the military, achieving the military’s centenary goals on schedule, and advancing high-quality modernization of national defense and the armed forces.
He further emphasized upholding Party leadership and strengthening Party building, with sustained efforts to exercise full and rigorous Party self-governance and enhance the Party’s capacity to purify, improve and renew itself and excel.
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