A salute to the shining Sun of democracy

Nov 12, 2016, will be a day of grand celebrations, for it marks the 150th birthday of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), "a great national hero, patriot and the front-runner of China's democratic revolution". The decision to celebrate the occasion came just a day after the historic meeting between Xi Jinping and Ma Ying-jeou in Singapore on Saturday, a milestone in cross-Straits relations.

Events will be held to honor Sun's contribution to national independence, social advancement and people's welfare, carry forward his patriotic thoughts and revolutionary and entrepreneurial spirit, in the hope of safeguarding cross-Straits peace and enhancing the Chinese cohesion, says a statement released after the plenary meeting of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on Sunday.

Next year's high-profile commemoration of Sun should not come as a surprise, because such events were held in 1996 to mark his 130th birthday and 2006 for the 140th birthday. Routine as it is, the commemoration will be of special significance to both sides of the Straits, which still express similar gratitude and honor to possibly the least controversial figure in Chinese modern history.