He claimed the CCP had lifted the Chinese people out of ‘absolute poverty’ and credited it with steering the nation to its present level of development.
Amid growing popular dissatisfaction caused by the slowing economy, increasing unemployment and rising cost of living, grand celebrations were organised across China between June 29-July 1 to commemorate the 105th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The celebrations sought to boost the CCP’s sagging popularity and simultaneously bolster Xi Jinping’s image in the run up to the 21st Party Congress scheduled for late next year.
Predictably Xi Jinping’s “important” approximately 4,000-word speech dwelt largely on domestic issues and highlighted the CCP’s achievements. He claimed it had lifted the Chinese people out of “absolute poverty” and credited the CCP with steering the nation to its present level of development. Pointing to the continuity in ideology and policies, Xi Jinping praised the contributions of each of the CCP Central Committee General Secretaries since Mao Zedong. The PLA came in for special mention and Taiwan’s importance as a “core issue” was spotlighted.
Xi Jinping asserted that the CCP was China’s “most reliable backbone” and had led a China “beset by internal and external troubles and suffering from poverty and weakness” as it “embarked on a tremendous historical transformation”. He said the CCP had achieved “in just a few decades … the industrialization process that took developed countries hundreds of years, creating the two miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability”.
Stating that China would reach its national goal for 2049, Xi Jinping said “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is unstoppable”. Xi Jinping noted the contribution of County Party Secretaries while the CCP claimed it continued to be popular and its membership had increased the previous year by one million to reach over 101 million.
Xi Jinping paid homage to the former leaders and said, “The Chinese Communists, with Comrades Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, and Hu Jintao as their main representatives, have made monumental contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation”! He genuflected to the memories of “veteran revolutionaries such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping, and Chen Yun, as well as Comrade Jiang Zemin”, praised their selfless dedication to national independence, and called them “the creators of history and the true heroes”. He stressed the constancy in their ideological contributions and emphasised that the CCP has continuously advanced “the Sinicization and modernization of Marxism, forming Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development, and Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, greatly enriching and developing Marxism”.
Pointing to China’s leading global role, he spelt out the principles underpinning his vision for the new world order. Xi Jinping said, “We are promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, contributing Chinese wisdom, Chinese solutions, and Chinese strength to solving major global challenges”. He declared he would press ahead with the goal of making China “a major power with pioneering global influence” by 2049, implying China would rival, if not surpass, the US. He said China will “promote the common values of all humanity, promote the building of a new type of international relations, and promote the implementation of global development initiatives, global security initiatives, global civilization initiatives, and global governance initiatives, injecting more positive energy into world peace and development”.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) anticipatedly merited special mention. In an independent paragraph Xi Jinping repeated that the PLA must be strong and be able to ensure national security. He emphasised the Party’s absolute leadership over the People’s Liberation Army and said the PLA “must fully implement the Party’s thought on strengthening the military in the new era” and “accelerate the building of the People’s Liberation Army into a world-class military, resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and make greater contributions to maintaining world peace and development”.
Taiwan’s importance was highlighted as a “core issue”. Implying a time-line for resolution of the issue, he stressed that the Party’s overall strategy for “resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era” must be implemented. Reference to the “new era” shows that Xi Jinping aims to achieve it during his term—whenever that ends! This was further emphasised in Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s call to US Secretary of State Rubio on June 30. Wang Yi said, “The Taiwan issue has far-reaching implications; we hope the US will treat Taiwan-related affairs with utmost caution”. At the same time China signalled it retained the military option when, on June 29, its Coast Guard conducted “routine law enforcement patrols” in the waters near Taiwan-controlled Kinmen island situated just 3 to 10 kilometres off the coast of Fujian in mainland China.
Xi Jinping’s speech emphasised the role of the CCP in China’s rise. He highlighted that “socialist China under the leadership of the CCP has been widely acknowledged as builder of world peace, contributor of global development and defender of the international order”. Exuding confidence, Xi Jinping assured “By the middle of this century, we will have built a modern socialist country in all respects and achieved the second centenary goal. Time waits for no one! History waits for no one!”
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The author is former Member of the National Security Advisory Board and currently President of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.
