Full coverage: 95 years of glory

Full coverage: China’s Leaders

China’s ruling party, the Communist Party of China (CPC), is celebrating the 95th anniversary of the founding of the Party here in Beijing. For almost a century, the CPC has brought about dramatic changes to the most populous country in the world. It has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and ushered the nation onto the global stage as a major player. 

A number of activities have been held at the Great Hall of the People. Xi Jinping, the general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered a speech at the conference.  

The celebration started with a ceremony honoring those outstanding Party members, Party Workers and Grassroots Party Organizations for their dedication and service. Xi delivered a speech following the honoring ceremony. He reviewed the path taken by the Communist Party during the past century, from its establishment in 1921 to its current developments which have brought prospects of great rejuvenation.

“In its 95 years of history, the Chinese Communist Party has relied on the people, to overcome the difficulties and gain the victory. It has make great historical contributions to the Chinese nation,” Xi said. 

“The great historical contribution is, our party uniting the Chinese people to fight Japanese imperialism, to overthrow the reactionary rule of the Kuomingtang, finish the new democratic revolution, and establish the People’s Republic of China.”

Xi expressed his respect to those who have dedicated themselves selflessly to the country and the people. He said that we should learn from history, in order to play the leadership role better.

“From the mirror we find out the figure, from the past we know the future. Today, we review the history, not for the comfort of success, not for looking for a shelter from the difficulties we face now, but for summing up the experiences of history, learning historical law, and enhancing the courage and power to move forward,” said Xi.

That includes ensuring a strong faith for all Party members, remembering our original intentions, and keeping in mind that only people are the creators of history and are the real heroes. People must be served well. And the core is to build a well-off society and enhance the livelihoods of more than 130 million Chinese people. And, to do that, the Party needs to fight its greatest threat: corruption.

“Our party has been cracking down on both the tigers and the flies since the 18th CPC National Congress. The fight against corruption is gaining overwhelming momentum. To combat corruption and moral degeneration and build a clean government, we must have constant vigilance. We must punish every single person involved in corruption with zero tolerance and leave them with no place to hide,” said Xi.

Xi also said that promoting the peaceful unification of China is a requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

“We will continue to implement comprehensively the policies of ‘One Country, Two Systems,’ ‘Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong’ and ‘Macao people governing Macao’ with a high degree of autonomy. It is the political base of the peaceful advancement of cross-Strait relations to stick to the 1992 Consensus and oppose ‘Taiwan independence.’ We are firmly against the ‘Taiwan independence’ separatists,” said Xi.

Xi stressed that the peaceful rise of China will be beneficial for all. The country is against a Cold War mentality and zero-sum games. While at the same time, it will stand strong to safeguard its own legitimate interests.

“China is against placing a forceful will on other people, or interfering in the internal affairs of other countries, or bullying the weak. China does not covet other countries rights and interests, or become jealous of their achievements,” Xi said. 

“But we will never give up our legitimate rights and interests.We won't let any country make us betray our core interests, or swallow the bitter pill of damaging the country's sovereignty, security and development benefits.”

Xi also stressed the importance of youth for the future of the whole country. He called on all Party members to stand the test of history, to not forget the Party’s original intentions and to continue moving forward to achieve higher scores for the Chinese people.