Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the importance of party unity and strong leadership in a speech commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Long March’s conclusion, framing the historical event as a guiding lesson for China’s current challenges. Speaking in Beijing, Xi emphasized that the Communist Party’s cohesion was crucial to overcoming adversity both in the past and today.
Marking the anniversary of the Red Army’s strategic retreat from 1934 to 1936 during the Chinese civil war, Xi highlighted the pivotal role of establishing a firm central leadership under Mao Zedong at the 1935 Zunyi Conference. This, he said, was key to reversing the army’s fortunes and ultimately securing victory. Xi described the creation of a “first generation of central collective leadership” as an “indispensable” foundation for the party to solve practical revolutionary challenges and overcome both internal divisions and external obstacles.
Xi linked the historical Long March, covering approximately 10,000 kilometers as the Red Army evaded Nationalist forces, to what he called China’s “new Long March” in the contemporary era—a metaphor for the nation’s ongoing effort to achieve full modernization and what he termed the “great rejuvenation” of the Chinese nation through socialist development.
The address came days before the Communist Party’s upcoming fifth plenum of the 20th Central Committee, the party’s highest policymaking body, scheduled to take place in Beijing next week. The meeting is expected to focus on reinforcing party governance, internal discipline, and political loyalty at a time when anti-corruption investigations have affected a significant number of Central Committee members. Reports indicate that out of 205 full members, 35 have faced investigations or lost legislative positions, often due to allegations of disloyalty.
Xi warned that China faced a complex and challenging international environment, calling for preparedness against “high winds, raging waves and even dangerous storms.” He stressed the necessity for the party, military, and population to develop resilience and combat capabilities to navigate geopolitical uncertainties. His comments come amid heightened tensions with Western countries, particularly the United States, over trade disputes, technology restrictions, and regional security issues involving Taiwan and the South China Sea.
State media outlets supported Xi’s message, with the People’s Daily emphasizing the centralization of authority under the party core as essential for maintaining political stability and driving modernization. Meanwhile, an editorial in the PLA Daily urged the military to maintain absolute party control, enhance combat readiness, and accelerate modernization efforts ahead of the People’s Liberation Army’s centenary in 2027.
Across China, public commemorations, academic exhibitions, and educational programs were held to mark the anniversary, reinforcing the Long March’s lasting symbolic importance in Chinese political and historical discourse.