Hong Kong (CNN) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on his people to show an “indomitable fighting spirit” in a bullish speech on Monday in which he also praised the ruling Communist Party’s decision to clamp down the Tiananmen democracy protests.
Xi made the comments at a landmark speech marking the centenary of the birth of one of his predecessors – Jiang Zemin, who was China’s leader from 1993 to 2002. He died in 2022.
Addressing thousands of officials and delegates at the Great Hall of the People, he portrayed China as a country that was facing tough times, but one that would emerge unscathed.
“With an indomitable fighting spirit and exceptional capabilities, we will actively confront major challenges, whether they be rough seas or even raging storms,” he said.
“(We must) resolutely defend our national sovereignty, security, and development interests, thereby writing a new chapter in the two great miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability.”
In an indication of the speech’s importance, all seven members of China’s powerful politburo standing committee, along with retired party and state leaders, were all present, according to CCTV footage.
Jiang’s rise to the top began amid the tumult of the 1989 Tiananmen Square democracy protests, which were brutally crushed by Chinese troops in what remains one of the most sensitive political taboos in mainland China.
In the 45-minute speech, Xi praised a long list of Jiang’s achievements, including a rare mention of the Tiananmen democracy protests, hailing the Communist Party’s ultimate decision to reject the protests and clear the square using troops and tanks.
“In between of the spring and summer of 1989, China experienced a serious political upheaval, Comrade Jiang Zemin resolutely supported and implemented the Central Committee’s correct decisions, effectively maintaining stability in Shanghai,” said Xi.
Jiang unexpectedly became General Secretary of the Communist Party shortly after the crackdown in part because the person he replaced, Zhao Ziyang, was seen as being unduly sympathetic to the protesters. By 1993 he was the undisputed leader of China.
His era saw China’s economy charge ahead and open up to the world, culminating with the country joining the World Trade Organization – with US support – in 2001.
The-CNN-Wire
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