Mediamec Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged renewed efforts to modernise China and strengthen its military, drawing on the legacy of the Red Army’s Long March at a ceremony marking its 90th anniversary.
Speaking at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday, 22 October, Xi described China’s current development ambitions as a new Long March and said lessons from the past should guide its future.
About 3,000 people attended the commemoration. At Xi’s request, they stood for a moment of silence to honour those who died during the Long March and other revolutionary struggles in China.
Xi, who also leads the Communist Party of China (CPC) and chairs the Central Military Commission, recalled that the Red Army crossed more than 10 provinces between October 1934 and October 1936.
He described the march as a turning point in the Chinese revolution, crediting the party’s leadership and Mao Zedong’s emergence as its central figure with securing its success.
Strong convictions and public support remained essential to the party and armed forces, Xi said. He also called for Marxist principles to be applied in ways that respond to China’s particular circumstances.
Linking that history to present-day priorities, Xi reaffirmed the Second Centenary Goal of developing China into a modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation through its own approach to modernisation.
He called for high-quality development and prosperity shared across the population, alongside stronger coordination between economic development and security to address risks and challenges.
Xi also urged faster progress towards a world-class military, while maintaining the party’s absolute control over the armed forces. He said stronger party organisation and rigorous internal governance were necessary.
Zhao Leji, who chaired the gathering, urged officials to study and implement Xi’s speech. He called on party members, the military and people across China’s ethnic groups to unite behind the CPC Central Committee under Xi’s leadership.
Other senior leaders attending included Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, as well as Vice-President Han Zheng.
