Locals inspired by Xi's anniversary speech
The speech delivered by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China, at a ceremony marking the centennial of the CPC at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing yesterday morning, inspired both people participating in the ceremony and those watching it on TV in Shanghai.
Dr Zheng Junhua from Shanghai's Renji Hospital is one of the medical delegates who traveled to Beijing. He is the leader of the first medical team that supported Wuhan, the initial epicenter of COVID-19.
"I felt so excited while witnessing the ceremony. President Xi Jinping's speech greatly lifted our confidence to offer high-end health service to patients and improve Shanghai's medical capabilities to build it into a leading medical center in Asia," he said.
Dr Chen Erzhen from Ruijin Hospital said Party members should take a leading role.
"As a doctor, I will work harder to solve patients' suffering. As a hospital official, I will improve my hospital management ability. As a teacher, I will devote more to help cultivate more medical students. And as a Party member, I will follow the Party's lead and offer my efforts for the Healthy China Plan," Chen said.
Party members working in the financial hub of Lujiazui gathered on the 22nd floor of Shanghai Tower to watch it.
Three photos showing Xi's visit to the site on November 6, 2018, were hung as a backdrop.
He Ya'nan from Shanghai Tower was on the verge of tears when she heard Xi say that Chinese people would never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress or enslave us.
"People who have been making contributions to the nation for the past century are a beacon for us. We are willing to hear from the world, but we are not afraid of any power," He said. "I have been a Party member for 15 years. I can feel how great the Party is from my own experience."
The Pengpu Xincun Subdistrict in Jing'an District also organized local officials and workers to watch Xi's speech. Yan Zheng, a city labor model and the subdistrict's general practitioner, said he was very touched by Xi's words.
"I have been working at the grassroots level for more than 20 years. Many bed-ridden elder residents give their keys to me to let me visit any time. They trust me," he said. "I will continue to devote myself to people."
Chen Haiqing, director of the Gucun Police Station in Baoshan District – which was awarded by the Party for its excellent work under its Party organization a few days ago – was among the audience for Xi's speech yesterday. He said the speech inspired police officers at the grassroots level to be exemplary in serving the people.
"We will always strive to make people feel served with justice in dealing with all cases and all requests," he said.
Li Yong, director of the Xintiandi Police Station in Huangpu District, which is in charge of the safety of the first national congress of CPC site and memorial, said Xi's speech inspired him to live up to his role as a guardian of the cradle of the Party.
This police station also serves the popular Xintiandi shopping district, office buildings with international companies and a large number of residents from China and overseas.
"I will keep my spirits high to serve the people here and keep them safe, always putting people first," Li said.
At Fudan University, faculty and students watched the live broadcast of the ceremony in dormitory rooms, conference halls and the former residence of its late president Chen Wangdao, which is now an exhibition hall of The Communist Manifesto, as he was the first to translate the full text of the masterpiece into Chinese.
Chen Zhenxin, son of the translator and educator, watched the ceremony with students who are voluntary guides at the house, now the exhibition hall.
"I'm excited to watch the ceremony at my former home," he said.
"In the past 100 years, the Party has grown from the initial 50 some members to the current over 95 million staffers, and it has established a new China and led the country and its people to grow prosperous and strong. The process is not easy. As one of the earliest members, my father had strived with other fellow members to save the country, and I think he must be very happy to see its development in the past century, which has been summarized by General Secretary Xi in his speech."
Li Yanan, a doctoral students majoring in Marxism studies and a volunteer at the exhibition hall, said he felt being missioned to work for a better future for the nation.
"There was a section for young CPC members in General Secretary Xi's speech," he said.
"He said 100 years ago, a group of young people upheld the torch of Marxism and explore ways for rejuvenation of our country; and in the past 100 years, generations of young people have been working for the course of the Party and the people. He called for youth of this new era to take the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation as our responsibility, strengthen our aspiration, backbone and confidence as Chinese people, living up to expectation of the society, the Party and the people. It's a great inspiration for me. As a student and a guide at this exhibition hall, I will keep on researching on Marxism and Socialism with Chinese characteristics and telling stories of the faith of our former president to others."
Faculty and students from other universities also showed positive response to Xi's speech.
"I'm excited and inspired by the speech," said Liu Chenggong, Party secretary of Donghua University. "The Party has led the people to make extraordinary achievements in the past 100 years. I'm proud of our Party and our country, as well as my Party membership. After achieving the goal of the first 100 years, now we are standing at a new historical point to strive for the goal of the second 100 years to build a strong socialist country. And I'm confident we will make it."
He said Donghua will aim at building itself a world-class university and contribute its research strength to the economic and social development of China by improving its capacity in science and technology innovation and cultivating talent generation by generation to carry forward the socialist course.
"Today's young students are major forces to build a stronger China in the following 100 years," he said. "As educators, we should cultivate them into confident pioneers with great aspiration."
Some expats in Shanghai also joined their Chinese fellow citizens in watching the ceremony.
Nusrat Marat from Australia is a member of the Hongqiao Friendship Alliance and an "excellent volunteer" in local community.
He told Shanghai Daily yesterday, "China's development and changes have been irrefutable, because the country has a ruling party that does everything for the people. The Communist Party of China has formed its own unique model and successfully provided the world with an advanced economic model full of vitality."
He was especially impressed by Xi's announcement that the Party has achieved the goal of the first hundred years of struggle and built a well-off society on the land of the Chinese nation.
"I think the Communist Party of China is an idealist who benefits the people and improves their living standards," he said. "The creation of the Communist Party of China was a great change in China's history. It profoundly changed the future and destiny of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation, and profoundly changed the trend and pattern of world development, as General Secretary Xi Jinping once said."
He was looking forward to the future development of China under the leadership of the CPC.
"Under the leadership of the Party, the Chinese people have insisted on fighting against poverty and vigorously carried out national construction, leading China to enter the current stage of vigorous development," he said. "Today, under the guidance of General Secretary Xi Jinping's theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the CPC and the Chinese people are forging ahead in China's efforts to realize Chinese dream, and have offered brilliant plans for a better future for mankind."