[Correspondent Column] Xi Jinping's Speech Fully Reflecting the Situation in China

Sino-US Conflict is a Crisis... 1.4 Billion People Unite to Overcome National Calamity
Emphasizing 'Nationalism and Patriotism' with Words like Unity, Cohesion, Chinese Nation, and Revival

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] At 8 a.m. on the 1st (local time) at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, Premier Li Keqiang declared the start of the Chinese Communist Party's 100th anniversary event. Following this, as the People's Liberation Army honor guard marched across Tiananmen Square and lined up before Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party (President of China), a large five-star red flag was raised to the accompaniment of the Volunteer Army March. This marked the beginning of the event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party.

The main figure of the event, General Secretary Xi, ascended the Tiananmen Square watchtower wearing a Mao suit. Although the current and former Chinese leadership were all present, Xi was the only one dressed in a Mao suit.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The highlight of the event was General Secretary Xi's speech. The key words in his approximately one-hour-long speech were ‘unity,’ ‘cohesion,’ ‘Chinese nation,’ and ‘revival.’ At the beginning of his speech, Xi declared the official establishment of a ‘Xiaokang society’ (a society where all people enjoy a moderately prosperous life), stating that "through the relentless struggle of the Party and all ethnic groups (the Han majority and 55 minority ethnic groups), the 100-year goal has been achieved."

Xi also referred to China's painful ‘history.’ He emphasized that China is the greatest country in the world, with a civilization history of over 5,000 years, and has contributed to the development of human civilization. He candidly revealed the hardships modern China endured. Xi stated that China suffered humiliation from Western imperialism during the Opium Wars and experienced unprecedented disasters. It appears that he brought up this humiliating history at the beginning of his speech to emphasize the historical inevitability of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party and the unity and cohesion of the people that led China to become one of the two major powers (G2).

In his speech, Xi repeatedly used the word ‘revival.’ He proclaimed, "The Chinese Communist Party and the people have led China's revival," and raised his voice saying, "The era of China being bullied by Western imperialism is over." He expressed confidence that the people united and, through indomitable struggle, achieved the great accomplishment of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. He also emphasized the superiority of the Chinese socialist system. Xi said, "Without the Chinese Communist Party, there would be no new China and no national revival," adding that history and the people have chosen the Chinese Communist Party. He further stated that continuous efforts for a better life and unity among the people are necessary to create the future. He raised his tone, warning that attempts to separate and antagonize the Chinese Communist Party and the people will never succeed, and that the 95 million Party members and 1.4 billion people will not tolerate such attempts.

Xi's speech fully reflects the current international situation China faces. Relations with the United States, which began with trade disputes, have deteriorated to a critical point. Not only the U.S. but also Western countries such as those in Europe are pressuring China over human rights issues. Although many countries side with China, in terms of influence, it is questionable. Regardless of the truth, China is also facing global resentment due to accusations regarding responsibility for COVID-19.

China has received the title of G2 but has not gained the corresponding honor. This is China's current international status. From the perspective of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, this situation is inevitably unsettling. Ultimately, the Party can only rely on the 1.4 billion people. Only if these 1.4 billion people unite and come together (show patriotism) can the Party maintain its power. The emphasis on the political term ‘Chinese nation’ is in the same context. Xi's speech can be summarized as "Just as we overcame foreign invasions 100 years ago, let us once again unite firmly around the Communist Party to confront and fight the United States."

While Xi's speech is primarily for domestic political purposes and does not require excessive attention, the Chinese leadership's excessive emphasis on ‘patriotism and nationalism’ is worrisome as it could cause harm to neighboring countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.