Chinese language CCP 100th Anniversary: International international locations that “intimidate” China will encounter a “nice wall of metal,” says Xi
“Anyone who dares to try will have their heads pounded bloodily against a large steel wall forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese,” Xi added in comments that were later tempered in the government’s own English translation.
In front of a reported crowd of 70,000 at a highly choreographed ceremony in Tiananmen Square, Xi gave a heavily nationalist speech claiming that only the Party of China can ensure continued stability and any attempt to separate it from the country will fail . “Without the Communist Party there will be no new China,” Xi said to thunderous applause and cheers.
The president’s speech crowned an occasionally rainy morning with celebrations in the capital to mark the party’s 100th birthday, including patriotic songs, speeches by officials and People’s Liberation Army Air Force overflights.
The Chinese Communist Party was secretly founded in July 1921 in a small brick house in Shanghai’s former French concession by about a dozen delegates.
Its later rise and continued monopoly of power have puzzled its critics as the party has proven adept at crucial moments in ensuring the survival of its authoritarian one-party rule. Under its founder and former chairman Mao Zedong, millions starved to death during long famine and political crises. Today, China is the second largest economy in the world, with some estimates suggesting it is on the verge of overtaking the United States.
However, Thursday’s celebrations will be followed by a tumultuous two years for the unelected party, hit by its perceived mishandling of the first Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan in December 2019, growing international outrage over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang, and the rise and subsequent suppression of major protests against democracy in Hong Kong.
There are also many challenges ahead, from a slowing economy, an aging population and a shrinking workforce, to an increasingly united democratic West determined to face the rise of China.
Xi, arguably the country’s most powerful leader since Mao, announced Thursday that the party had achieved its centenary goal of creating a “moderately affluent society” in China. “We are now marching confidently towards the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in every respect,” said Xi.
In his keynote address, the Chinese head of state not only looked to the past but also to the next generation of the Communist Party and appealed to young people to “live up to the expectations of the time.”
“The Chinese youth in the new era should take responsibility for the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, strengthen their ambition, backbone and self-confidence to be Chinese.”
Large taper is a common propaganda term used to describe China’s approval under the party’s leadership. Speaking of the issue, Xi said that only under the Party’s continued leadership could the country fulfill its “Chinese dream of great national rejuvenation.”
“Happy Sermon”
Continuing its tough foreign policy, Xi said that while China welcomes “helpful suggestions” from other governments, it will not accept “sanctimonious sermons.”
Regarding Taiwan, the self-governing democratic island that the Chinese government has long maintained as part of its territory, Xi said its “reunification” with the mainland was part of the Communist Party’s “historic mission”.
The Chinese leader also promised to “completely defeat” Taiwan’s “independence”. In the past, Xi has refused to rule out the use of force in his efforts to “reunite” Taiwan and the mainland, and although he made no similar threats in his speech on Thursday, the Chinese leader urged that the armed forces of the Landes raised to “world-class standards”.
“We need to accelerate the modernization of national defense and the armed forces,” said Xi.
In response to Xi’s speech, Taipei said its determination to protect the island’s sovereignty and democracy was “unwavering.”
And at a time when Hong Kong’s civil liberties are increasingly threatened by new national security laws passed by Beijing, Xi said Thursday that “social stability” in the major financial center as well as China’s “sovereignty (and) security” must be maintained. “Hong Kong’s annual pro-democracy protest march on July 1 was canceled on Thursday for the first time in 18 years, and thousands of police officers patrolled the city streets looking for signs of dissent.
“Nobody should underestimate the great determination, strong will and extraordinary ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said Xi.
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