Ceremony marking CPC centenary begins at Tian'anmen Square
China's national flag rises at the ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing on July 1, 2021.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at the event.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced the beginning of a ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Thursday morning.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived at Tian'anmen Rostrum at the heart of Beijing on Thursday morning for the ceremony.
Xi started to deliver an important speech at the event.
Xi said that the CPC has united and led the Chinese people over the past 100 years for one ultimate theme – bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Xi said that the CPC and the Chinese people, through tenacious struggle, have shown the world that China's national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability.
They have shown the world that the Chinese nation has achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, Xi said.
Xi summed up the four great successes achieved by the CPC in the past century.
- The Party unites and leads the Chinese people in fighting bloody battles with unyielding determination, achieving great success in the new-democratic revolution.
- The Party unites and leads the Chinese people in endeavoring to build a stronger China with a spirit of self-reliance, achieving great success in socialist revolution and construction.
- The Party unites and leads the Chinese people in freeing the mind and forging ahead, achieving great success in reform, opening up, and socialist modernization.
- The Party unites and leads the Chinese people in pursuing a great struggle, a great project, a great cause, and a great dream through a spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, and innovation, achieving great success for socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.
Members of the Chinese military orchestra march on Tian'anmen Square before a celebration marking the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China on July 1, 2021, in Beijing, China.
Military aircraft fly over Tian'anmen Square in echelons.
Xi said that the firm leadership of the CPC must be upheld.
The leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and constitutes the greatest strength of this system, Xi said.
It is the foundation and lifeblood of the Party and the country, and the crux upon which the interests and wellbeing of all Chinese people depend, he added.
Xi said that any attempt to divide the Party from the Chinese people or to set the people against the Party is bound to fail.
"The more than 95 million Party members and the more than 1.4 billion Chinese people will never allow such a scenario to come to pass," Xi said.
Helicopters fly in the formation of "100," representing the 100 years of the Party.
Xi said that the Party must uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.
Xi said as we have upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics and driven coordinated progress in material, political, cultural-ethical, social, and ecological terms, we have pioneered a new and uniquely Chinese path to modernization, and created a new model for human civilization.
He said China welcomes helpful suggestions, but will not accept sanctimonious preaching.
"We are eager to learn what lessons we can from the achievements of other cultures, and welcome helpful suggestions and constructive criticism," said Xi.
"We will not, however, accept sanctimonious preaching from those who feel they have the right to lecture us," he said.
Chinese people will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us, said Xi.
"Anyone who would attempt to do so will find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people," said Xi.
"We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will," Xi said.
China has always worked to safeguard world peace, contribute to global development, and preserve international order, Xi said, calling for continuous efforts to promote the building of a human community with a shared future.
The image China presents to the world today is one of a thriving nation that is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation, Xi said.
The CPC is rallying and leading the Chinese people on a new journey toward realizing the second centenary goal, Xi noted.
"It is certain that with the firm leadership of the Party and the great unity of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, we will achieve the goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and fulfill the Chinese Dream of great national rejuvenation," Xi said.
The flag-raising ceremony at the event
A ceremony marking the centenary of the Communist Party of China is held at the Tian'anmen Square in Beijing today.
People wave flags at the ceremony.
Planes fly over Tian'anmen Square in Beijing.
