Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, speaks from the Tian’anmen Rostrum at a ceremony marking the CPC centenary in Beijing on July 1. (XIE HUANCHI / XINHUA)

China’s national rejuvenation has become a historical inevitability, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said during a ceremony marking the centenary of the CPC on July 1.

The CPC and the Chinese people, through tenacious struggle, have shown the world that the Chinese nation is achieving tremendous transformation from standing up and growing prosperous to becoming strong, Xi said.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a speech from Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.

Addressing a grand gathering, Xi announced that China has realized the first centenary goal — building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. 

“This means that we have brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China, and we are now marching in confident strides toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects,” said Xi.

The CPC is rallying and leading the Chinese people on a new journey toward realizing the second centenary goal, Xi said.

“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. 

“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,” Xi said, stressing the need to strengthen the great unity of the Chinese people.

Young people celebrate the CPC centenary at Tian’anmen Square in Beijing on July 1. (YIN BOGU / XINHUA)

China welcomes helpful suggestions, but will not accept sanctimonious preaching, said Xi. “We have never bullied, oppressed, or subjugated the people of any other country, and we never will,” he 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 community with a shared future for mankind.

Xi summed up 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.

Thousands attend the ceremony marking the CPC centenary at Tian’anmen Square on July 1. (LIU JINHAI / XINHUA)

The people are the true heroes, for it is they who create history, Xi said.

The great founding spirit of the CPC is the Party’s source of strength, the top leader said.

He said the founding spirit, developed by the pioneers of communism in China, consists of the following principles: upholding truth and ideals, staying true to the original aspiration and founding mission, fighting bravely without fear of sacrifice, and remaining loyal to the Party and faithful to the people.

The firm leadership of the CPC must be upheld, Xi said, noting that the leadership of the Party is the defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and that it constitutes the greatest strength of this system.

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 called on the Party to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Congratulating the CPC on its centenary, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan said China’s success under the CPC, especially its elimination of extreme poverty, was “the most remarkable achievement of any human society”.

Korn Dabbaransi, president of Thai Chinese Friendship Association, said he has personally experienced the amazing transformation in China during his 156 visits, and that “the CPC is globally praised for this success”.

“Since July 1, 1921, the CPC has been, and still is, the most important vehicle that leads the people of China, to the above-poverty line living standard that they all are enjoying from today,” said Korn, a former deputy prime minister of Thailand.

The CPC remains vibrant and prosperous as its membership has exceeded 95 million ahead of its centenary.

The CPC had 95.15 million members as of June 5, up 3.5 percent from the membership at the end of 2019, according to figures released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee on June 30.

The Party has also seen more young people joining. There are now 23.68 million Party members aged 35 or younger, according to the latest figures, accounting for 24.9 percent of the total — 0.7 percentage point higher than the proportion at the end of 2019.

Yuan Xin, from the Beijing No 4 Intermediate People’s Court, joined the Party in early June. “I’m proud of being a Party member ahead of the Party’s 100th birthday. That’s what I’ve always hoped for,” said the 25-year-old.

Jiang Shuping, a senior researcher at the Institute of Party History and Literature of the CPC Central Committee, said the CPC has always stood with the people and upheld the fundamental interests of the people over the past century.

“It is also the reason why the Party has the endorsement and support of the people,” Jiang said.

Xinhua contributed to this report. 

Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn