CPC@100: Era of bullying is over, China’s rise inevitable, says Xi

Celebrating the centenary of the Chinese Communist Party in a festive atmosphere in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping, sporting a Mao-style jacket, said that the “era of China being bullied is gone forever”, and highlighted multifarious contribution of the party for the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Xi Jinping, also General Secretary of the CPC, underlined that the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation has entered an irreversible historical course” and vowed to continue to build a “world-class” military to defend national interests. In a soaring speech delivered in the backdrop of the giant portrait of Mao Zedong which dominates Tiananmen Square, President Xi mapped China’s rise as a global power and stressed that the party has lifted millions of people from poverty, thereby altering the landscape of world development. “The Chinese people will never allow any foreign forces to bully, oppress, or enslave us,” Xi said to thunderous applause from thousands of Chinese who had gathered to listen to their speaker. “Whoever wants to do so will face bloodshed in front of a Great Wall of steel built by more than 1.4 billion Chinese people.” “The Chinese nation does not carry aggressive or hegemonic traits in its genes.  We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will,” said President Xi. In a significant message aimed at the US, President Xi called for “complete reunification of the motherland by integrating the self-ruled island of Taiwan in its territory. “All sons and daughters of China, including compatriots on both sides of the strait, must work together and move forward in solidarity, and resolutely crush any ‘Taiwan independence’ plots,” he said. The CPC has around 95 million members. Highlights of Xi Jinping’s remarks at CPC centenary ceremony The following are some highlights of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s remarks on the historic occasion of the CPC. — We are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. — All the struggle, sacrifice, and creation through which the Party has united and led the Chinese people over the past hundred years has been tied together by one ultimate theme — bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. — The Chinese nation has achieved the tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, and China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability. — The people are the true heroes, for it is they who create history. — China’s success hinges on the Party. — 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. — At the fundamental level, the capability of our Party and the strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics are attributable to the fact that Marxism works. — We are eager to learn what lessons we can from the achievements of other cultures, and welcome helpful suggestions and constructive criticism. We will not, however, accept sanctimonious preaching from those who feel they have the right to lecture us. — A strong country must have a strong military, as only then can it guarantee the security of the nation. — The Chinese nation does not carry aggressive or hegemonic traits in its genes. – We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will. — We will never allow any foreign force to bully, oppress, or subjugate us. 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. — Today, we are closer, more confident, and more capable than ever before of making the goal of national rejuvenation a reality. But we must be prepared to work harder than ever to get there. — The patriotic united front is an important means for the Party to unite all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, both at home and abroad, behind the goal of national rejuvenation. — A hallmark that distinguishes the Communist Party of China from other political parties is its courage in undertaking self-reform. — No one should underestimate the resolve, the will, and the ability of the Chinese people to defend their national sovereignty and territorial integrity. — Today, the image China presents to the world is one of a thriving nation that is advancing with unstoppable momentum toward rejuvenation.