A great national hero, a great patriot and a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution — that was how President Xi Jinping described Sun Yat-sen in a speech at a gathering in Beijing on Thursday to mark the 160th anniversary of Sun's birth.
Born in 1866, Sun led the Revolution of 1911 more than a century ago to abolish the absolute monarchy that had ruled China for thousands of years. Sun died in 1925.
Sun's enduring significance lies in his patriotism, dedication to the people, pursuit of truth, determination to overcome challenges, commitment to unity and global vision.
To inherit a legacy is to demonstrate its relevance through progress and achievement. Chinese communists are the most steadfast supporters, loyal collaborators and faithful successors to the revolutionary cause initiated by Sun. For more than 100 years, the Communist Party of China has led the Chinese people in writing the most magnificent chapter in the history of the Chinese nation.
"The best way for us to remember Dr Sun is to emulate, inherit and carry forward his invaluable spirit, steadily advancing our endeavors to build a great country and rejuvenate our nation," Xi said.
Xi's emphasis on carrying on Sun's legacy to build a great nation is pertinent to the practical demands of the present: pursuing high-quality development and advancing Chinese modernization, while bringing the benefits of progress to the people.
On the new journey, it is essential to put the people first and make solid headway in promoting well-rounded personal development and common prosperity for all.
Sun set an example by devoting his life to the pursuit of truth. The nation should follow this example and courageously advance theoretical exploration and innovation, and continue to write new chapters in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of the times.
In the process, the Chinese people should carry forward Sun's unyielding determination, rise to the challenges ahead and break new ground in the country's development.
Yet a rather less edifying interpretation of Sun's legacy is taking hold among some in China's Taiwan region. The secessionist-minded Democratic Progressive Party authorities have pursued a systematic campaign to marginalize Sun in Taiwan's public life, ranging from public spaces to education. The objective is to downplay him in the island's collective memory, making way for an erroneous narrative of "Taiwan independence" separatism.
The DPP authorities' maneuvers aim to distort history and sever Taiwan's historical and cultural ties with the motherland. Such schemes expose the insecurity of those who would rather twist history than respect it, and put them on the wrong side of history.
Sun always upheld national unity and ethnic solidarity, and resolutely opposed any word or act attempting to split the country and divide the nation. Calling on people to learn from Sun's commitment to unity, Xi emphasized adhering to the united front and strengthening the great unity among all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation.
Resolving the Taiwan question and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is an unwavering historical mission for the CPC, the shared aspiration of all Chinese people, and a natural requirement for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, Xi stressed.
Therefore, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and all Chinese at home and abroad should join hands to oppose the "Taiwan independence" secessionist forces, and work together for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the complete reunification of the motherland.
One hundred and sixty years after Sun's birth, the measure of his legacy is what the country does with the ideals associated with it. Sun famously said, "The revolution has not yet succeeded; Comrades, you must carry on!" His words more than a century ago should still inspire the Chinese nation to carry forward his cause and build China into a great country.
