Chinese President Xi Jinping has told a commemoration in Beijing that the country faces a "new Long March" and needs strong, united Communist Party leadership to meet today's challenges, the South China Morning Post reports.
The keynote speech on Thursday marked the 90th anniversary of the end of the Red Army's Long March, the strategic retreat of the 1930s. Xi said the party had turned defeat into victory then because it rallied around Mao Zedong, and described a firm political core as an indispensable lesson for China now.
He linked that history to current geopolitical tensions, saying China must learn to navigate complex pitfalls and fight for its interests. The speech came days before the party's fifth plenum, a key meeting of its Central Committee.
Source: South China Morning Post
