Speech at a Ceremony Commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Victory of the Long March

Comrades,

As a great feat in human history, the Long March has left us with a rich heritage. However, its most valuable gem was the spirit of the Long March, which was forged with the lives and blood of Chinese Communists and Red Army soldiers.

The spirit of the Long March was about putting the fundamental interests of the Chinese people and nation above all else, about upholding firm revolutionary ideals and beliefs, and about the belief that a just cause would surely succeed. It was about a willingness to sacrifice everything to save the country and people, no matter what difficulties and obstacles lay ahead. It was about remaining committed to independence and autonomy, to seeking truth from fact, and to proceeding from reality in all endeavors. It was about seeing the bigger picture, maintaining strict discipline, and uniting closely. And it was about relying closely on the people, sharing the same fate as the people, and fighting bitterly alongside the people.

The spirit of the Long March was a vivid reflection of the demeanor of Chinese Communists and the people's army under their leadership; it was a demonstration of the Chinese people's spirit of constant self-improvement; and it was the highest embodiment of a national spirit based on patriotism.

A person without a spirit cannot stand tall; a country without a spirit cannot be strong. A spirit is the essence upon which a people depend for their long-term survival. Only with such a spirit can a people stand firm and move boldly forward amidst the torrent of history. The spirit of the Long March, as an important constituent of Chinese Communists' red heritage, has been deeply infused into the veins and soul of the Chinese nation, becoming a rich source of nutrition supporting our core socialist values, and a powerful inner drive spurring the Chinese people to constantly surmount difficulties and advance from victory to victory.

Comrades,

History is made by the people, and heroic people make heroic history. The progress and development we see in China today is the result of an ongoing "long march."

On the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Mao Zedong reminded us: "To win countrywide victory is only the first step in a long march." Following the founding of the new China, after an arduous period of searching that saw many setbacks, we launched a new era of reform and opening up, embarking on a new long march to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics.

During more than 30 years of reform and opening up, under the leadership of the CPC, the Chinese people have united as one and engaged in a painstaking struggle to develop the country. China's reform, opening up, and socialist modernization have progressed highly rapidly, the people's standard of living has been fundamentally improved, and China's socialist system has been significantly bolstered and developed. As a result, we are now welcoming bright prospects for the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Upholding and developing Chinese socialism is an arduous, long-term task of great historical significance. Deng Xiaoping once said, "We have been building socialism for only a few decades and are still in the primary stage. It will take a very long historical period to consolidate and develop the socialist system, and it will require persistent struggle by many generations, a dozen or even several dozens. We can never rest on our oars."

History only moves forward. To realize our ideals, we must continue on the path we have set for ourselves. Every generation has its own long march, and every generation must see that march through. Today, the long march of our generation is to attain the "Two Centenary Goals" and realize the Chinese Dream – the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

Though there are differences, some considerable, between today's long march and the Red Army's Long March, and also the new long march we have embarked upon since the launch of the reform and opening up drive, particularly with regard to their conditions, tasks, and the powers involved, the fact remains that each of these long marches can be described as a pioneering, arduous, and highly-complex undertaking.

There is no easy path to realizing a great ideal. To secure new progress in our effort to uphold and develop socialism with Chinese characteristics, yield new results in our effort to advance the great new undertaking of Party-building, and claim new victories in a great struggle with many new historical features, there are still many "snow-capped peaks" that we must scale, many "grasslands" that we must cross, and also many "Loushan Passes" and "Lazikou Passes" that we must conquer. There can be no room for any desire for ease and comfort, any unwillingness to keep on fighting; and there can be no room for any arrogance and complacency, any lack of drive to carry on forging ahead.

The long march goes on. There can be no future for a people who do not remember the road that brought them to where they are today. No matter how far our causes develop, and how great our achievements may be, we must always carry forward the spirit of the Long March and continue forging ahead courageously on a new long march.

– To carry forward the spirit of the Long March and succeed in our present long march, we must remain committed to the great ideal of communism and the common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and engage in a tireless struggle to realize our ideals and beliefs.

The victory of the Long March told us that belief in our hearts means strength in our legs. Without their indomitable ideals and beliefs to sustain them, the Red Army's victory in the Long March would simply have been inconceivable. Deng Xiaoping once said, "In the past, no matter how small and weak our Party was, and no matter what difficulties it faced, we always maintained great combat effectiveness thanks to our faith in Marxism and communism. Because we shared common ideals, we had strict discipline. That is our real strength today as it has been in the past and will be in the future."

On our new long march, we need to ensure that our ideals and beliefs remain firm. No matter how the times change or how conditions alter, we must never be perturbed by the trials that await us. We must consciously strive to be firm believers in, and loyal practitioners of, the great ideal of communism and the common ideal of Chinese socialism, and engage in an eternal fight for truth and for our ideals.

A rock can be smashed, but its pieces will still be hard; cinnabar can be ground, but its powder will still be red. Firm ideals and beliefs come from solid ideas and theories. To have firm ideals and beliefs, one must first understand, grasp, believe in, and defend truth. The ideals and beliefs of a Chinese Communist are founded on the scientific truths of Marxism, on the laws of social development revealed by Marxism, and on the grand aspiration to serve the interests of the broadest majority of the people. We are strong because what we pursue is truth. We are strong because what we respect are the laws that govern development. And we are strong because what we represent are the fundamental interests of the majority.

To solidify our ideals and beliefs, we must thoroughly study Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development. We must also study in depth the new concepts, ideas, and strategies for the governance of China introduced by the CPC Central Committee since our Party's 18th National Congress. We must use truth to empower ourselves, to guide our ideals, and to solidify our beliefs. With a commitment to believing in, reflecting on, and acting on what we learn, we must transform the outcomes of our learning into unmovable ideals and beliefs, and into the correct outlook on the world, life, and values. We can then use our ideals to light up the path ahead, and our beliefs to forge a better future.

– To carry forward the spirit of the Long March and succeed in our present long march, we must remain confident in the path, theories, system, and culture of Chinese socialism, and engage in a tireless struggle to win new victories for this great cause.

The victory of the Long March told us that we can only move in the right direction once we possess a sound theory; and only advance to victory once we have forged our own path on the basis of reality. The Long March not only crossed countless mountains and rivers; it also surmounted the mistaken notion that Marxism was a fixed dogma that could not change. Its most fundamental lesson was that China had to remain committed to combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's concrete realities, and remain committed to a path of revolution, socialist construction, and reform that conformed to the country's conditions.

On our new long march, we must firmly believe in the path, theories, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. The path of Chinese socialism is the only path that can lead us to socialist modernization, and the only path that can create better lives for the people. The theories of Chinese socialism constitute a sound theoretical framework that will guide the CPC and the Chinese people down the path of China's socialism, the destination being the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. These theories stand at the forefront of our time, and they evolve as the times change. The system of Chinese socialism represents a fundamental institutional guarantee for progress and development in China today. It is an advanced system with distinct Chinese features, notable institutional strengths, and a strong capacity for self-improvement. The culture of Chinese socialism embodies the deepest aspirations of the Chinese people. Representing a unique symbol of our nation, it is a powerful inner force that drives the Chinese people to victory. The truth of these statements has been proven not only in theory, but also by practice.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics, as the only choice for the development of modern China, embodies the ideals and explorations of several generations of Chinese Communists, the wishes and hopes of countless progressives, and also the struggles and sacrifices of millions upon millions of Chinese people. In emphasizing the need for confidence in our path, theories, system, and culture, our intention is by no means to rest on our laurels and stop seeking progress. On the contrary, it is imperative that we continue to discover, invent, create, and advance, so as to preserve the strong vitality of China's socialism. However, what we must always remember is that the purpose of any and all improvements we make is to advance further on the path we have set for ourselves, and not to change course, or discard the very foundation that supports the CPC, the country, and the people.