(July 1): Chinese leader Xi Jinping made a case for his ruling party as a force for global progress and prosperity — a role backed by a strong military — signalling his ambition for the nation to stand at the fore of global affairs.
In a speech in Beijing on Wednesday marking the founding of the Communist Party 105 years ago, Xi said the organisation was “creating a new form of human advancement” while paving the way for developing nations to modernise.
He said that “socialist China, led by the party, is recognised as a builder of world peace, contributor to global development and defender of international order”. He again touted vaguely defined programmes his government has put forward, like the Global Governance Initiative, while also pledging to “strengthen the military through reform, science and technology, and personnel training”.
While Xi and other Chinese leaders have long positioned the party — which now has more than 100 million members — as central to China’s development, the speech underscores a mounting ambition for the nation to play a more high-profile role on the international stage. It buttresses Xi’s push to use blocs like BRICS to rally developing countries to act as a counterweight to what he sees as the US’s fading influence.
While Xi didn’t directly mention the US in the roughly 40 minutes of remarks, he did allude to the obstacles his nation faces in its ambitions.
“No matter how strong the enemy, how treacherous the path, and how severe the challenges may be, our party has remained dauntless and unyielding and inspired the people of the whole country to achieve one victory after another,” he said.
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Xi repeatedly exhorted the gathering at the Great Hall of the People — and the public watching on national television — to “maintain confidence”. He also reiterated his goal to bring about “national rejuvenation”, partly by solving the “Taiwan problem”.
The status of the chipmaking powerhouse of 23 million people some 160km off China’s coast is one of the thorniest issues in the relationship with Washington, even after Xi held warm meetings with President Donald Trump in Beijing in May. American arms sales to Taiwan annoy China, which has pledged to bring the democracy under its control eventually, even if force is required.
The government in Taipei pushes back at Beijing’s claims, saying Taiwan is already independent while stepping up preparations to counter any attack.
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On Wednesday, the Mainland Affairs Council in Taipei issued a statement calling on Beijing “to resolve differences through dialogue with our democratically elected and legitimate government without preconditions so as to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait”.
In his speech, Xi signalled he’d press on with one of the signature aspects of his roughly 14 years in power: rooting out corrupt officials — a drive that also serves to eliminate political rivals.
“We are determined to remove all elements that undermine the advanced nature and the purity of the party and eliminate all viruses that erode its health, so that we can forge a strong party through the tempering of revolution,” he said.
The event on Wednesday marked the first time since 2021 that the 73-year-old has delivered a speech about the party on its anniversary. That time, to mark its centenary, Xi addressed a crowd of some 70,000 party faithful from above the portrait of Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square. He struck a defiant tone, saying that “the time when the Chinese nation could be bullied and abused by others was gone forever”.
He has continued his efforts to cast himself as the “people’s leader” before a party congress next year in which the son of a former vice-premier is expected to seek a fourth five-year term — a move made possible by his earlier lifting limits on how long the president can serve.
Most of Xi’s latest speech focused on the accomplishments of the Communist Party since it was founded in Shanghai. Xi’s grip over China is stronger than ever, influencing aspects of life from classrooms to the office, and it has been bolstered by a purge of key defence and civilian officials.
Yet Xi faces a range of economic challenges at home. China’s government has lowered its official 2026 growth target to between 4.5% and 5%, its least ambitious goal since 1991. While exports have helped offset a weakening economy, Xi has to contend with a slumping property market, weak consumer spending and a cooling job market.
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