Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, December 26. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a symposium at the Great Hall of the People on the morning of the 26th to commemorate the 130th anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's birth. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech. He emphasized that Comrade Mao Zedong was a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, a great pioneer in the Sinicization of Marxism, a great founder of China's socialist modernization, a great patriot and national hero in modern China, the core of the Party's first generation of central leadership collective, a great leader who led the Chinese people in completely changing their own destiny and the face of the nation, and a great internationalist who made significant contributions to the liberation of oppressed nations worldwide and the progress of humanity. Mao Zedong Thought is a precious spiritual asset of our Party and will continue to guide our actions in the long term. The best way to commemorate Comrade Mao Zedong is to advance the cause he pioneered.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi, as well as Vice President Han Zheng, attended the symposium. The symposium was presided over by Cai Qi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

Xi Jinping pointed out in his speech that Comrade Mao Zedong dedicated his life to the relentless struggle for the prosperity of the nation, the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and the happiness of the people. He led the people in initiating the historical process of adapting Marxism to the Chinese context, forged the great, glorious, and correct Communist Party of China, established a new China where the people are the masters of the country, created an advanced socialist system, and built a new type of invincible people's army. His indelible historical contributions and brilliant achievements for the Chinese nation and people will shine through the ages.

Xi Jinping emphasized that Comrade Mao Zedong devoted his life to the Party and the people, leaving behind a lofty spiritual legacy that will forever inspire future generations. Comrade Mao Zedong demonstrated the far-sighted political vision of a great revolutionary leader, unwavering revolutionary conviction, extraordinary pioneering courage, masterful art of struggle, outstanding leadership skills, a profound devotion to the people, a broad and open-minded character, and a fine style of hard work. He won the affection and admiration of the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country. The noble spiritual example of Comrade Mao Zedong remains a powerful driving force inspiring us to march forward.

Xi Jinping pointed out that advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization is the central task of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in the new era and on the new journey. This is the unfinished cause of Mao Zedong and other older generation revolutionaries and the solemn historical responsibility of contemporary Chinese Communists. On the new journey, we must stay true to our original aspiration and founding mission, strengthen our historical confidence, and grasp the historical initiative to continuously advance the grand cause of Chinese modernization.

Xi Jinping stressed that Chinese modernization is a cause for all the Chinese people, and we must rely firmly on the people, pool their infinite wisdom and strength, and fully inspire the historical initiative of all the people. We must adhere to the fundamental tenet of historical materialism that the people are the fundamental force driving historical progress, uphold the people’s principal position in the country, and take safeguarding, realizing, and developing the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people as the starting point and ultimate goal of all our work. We must ensure that the fruits of modernization benefit all our people in a more equitable way. We must improve the institutions through which the people run the country, refine institutions and mechanisms for ensuring social fairness and justice, focus on ensuring and improving people’s wellbeing, and follow the mass line in the new era. We must always maintain close ties with the people, always accept their criticism and oversight, and always share a common destiny with them. In this way, Chinese modernization will be imbued with the most reliable, profound, and enduring source of strength.

Xi Jinping pointed out that unwaveringly upholding Marxism and developing it in step with the times, vigorously advancing theoretical innovation on the basis of practice, and consciously using Marxism adapted to the Chinese context and the needs of our times to guide new practices are the successful approaches our Party has adopted to grasp the historical initiative, keep pace with the times, and continuously break new ground in our endeavors. Practice and theoretical innovation are endless, and the pursuit of truth will never cease. We must continue to open up new frontiers in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. Chinese modernization has opened up broad prospects for the Party's theoretical innovation and presented new and more formidable tasks. We must adhere to the basic tenets of Marxism and adapt them to China's specific realities and fine traditional culture, delve into the laws governing Chinese modernization, continuously answer new questions raised by practice, and guide practical innovation with theoretical innovation.

Xi Jinping stressed that reform and opening up is an important instrument for contemporary China to catch up with the times in great strides and a crucial move determining the success of Chinese modernization. To advance Chinese modernization, it is necessary to further deepen reform and opening up in all respects, and constantly unleash and develop social productive forces as well as unleash and enhance social vitality. It is imperative to follow the new trends of the times, meet the new requirements of practical development and the new expectations of the people, and with a strong determination to carry out reform to the end, take real action, dare to tackle tough problems, and make well-directed, coordinated and sustained efforts to resolutely remove all institutional and systemic barriers that hinder the smooth progress of Chinese modernization, so as to continuously inject new impetus into Chinese modernization in all respects and expand the development space for Chinese modernization.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Chinese modernization is socialist modernization pursued under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Only by maintaining the sobriety and resolve to tackle the challenges unique to a large party like ours and making the Party still stronger can we ensure that Chinese modernization advances steadily and smoothly despite all challenges. We must implement the general requirements for Party building in the new era, use the Party’s political building as the overarching principle to steer all Party building endeavors, improve the system for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance, and advance the Party’s self-purification, self-improvement, self-renewal, and self-enhancement across the board. We must continue to see that there is no will to, no opportunity to, and no ground for corruption, so that our Party will stay true to its original aspiration and founding mission, remain at the forefront of the times, and always retain its vigor and vitality. We must ensure that our Party will never change its nature, conviction, or character.

President Xi stressed that Chinese modernization requires the joint efforts of all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation. We must fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong, the people of Macao administer Macao, and both regions enjoy a high degree of autonomy. We must remain committed to law-based governance in Hong Kong and Macao, uphold and improve the relevant systems, and ensure the full jurisdiction of the central government over the two special administrative regions as well as the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong" and "patriots administering Macao." We must ensure that the central government exercises overall jurisdiction over the two regions while ensuring their high degree of autonomy. We will support Hong Kong and Macao in growing their economies, improving people's lives, and resolving deep-seated issues in economic and social development, so as to better integrate the two regions into the country's overall development. Complete reunification of our country is a trend of history and the common aspiration of all Chinese people. It is a necessity that must be fulfilled and will definitely be fulfilled. We must implement the Party's overall policy for resolving the Taiwan issue in the new era, adhere to the One-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, promote the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and deepen integrated cross-Strait development in all fields. We will resolutely oppose any attempts to separate Taiwan from China in any form.

Xi Jinping stressed that Chinese modernization is the modernization of peaceful development, which benefits not only the Chinese people but also promotes the modernization of all countries in the world. We will stand firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization progress, hold high the banner of peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, promote the common values of humanity, advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative, and work to build a world of lasting peace, universal security, common prosperity, openness, inclusiveness, and cleanliness and beauty. We will firmly uphold the basic norms of international relations, adhere to the right direction of economic globalization, firmly pursue an open strategy of mutual benefit, and promote the reform of global governance toward a more just and reasonable direction. China’s development is an increase in the force for world peace. No matter how developed it becomes, China will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion.

During the meeting, Cai Qi stated that General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech affectionately reviewed Comrade Mao Zedong’s great practice in leading China’s revolution and construction, highly praised Comrade Mao Zedong’s monumental contributions to the Chinese nation and people, and emphasized that Comrade Mao Zedong’s noble spirit serves as a powerful driving force inspiring us to march forward. The speech also laid out clear requirements for commemorating Comrade Mao Zedong through concrete actions and advancing the grand cause of Chinese modernization. General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important speech is visionary, profound, and insightful, carrying strong political, ideological, and guiding significance. It holds great importance in guiding our Party to carry forward the cause pioneered by Comrade Mao Zedong and other revolutionary elders, adhere to the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and forge new ground in advancing Chinese modernization. We must earnestly study, comprehend, and thoroughly implement the speech, uniting our efforts to comprehensively build a strong nation and achieve national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

At the symposium, Qu Qingshan, head of the Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee, Miao Hua, a member of the Central Military Commission and director of the Political Work Department of the Central Military Commission, and Shen Xiaoming, secretary of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the CPC, delivered speeches successively.

Members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, as well as leading comrades from the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission attended the symposium.

The symposium was attended by officials from relevant departments of the Party, government, military, and mass organizations in Beijing, as well as from the Hunan Provincial Party Committee, representatives from central committees of democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and non-affiliated individuals, relatives of Comrade Mao Zedong, former staff members who worked closely with him, representatives from his hometown, and participants of the "National Academic Symposium Commemorating the 130th Anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong's Birth."

Comrades Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng, among other leading comrades, visited the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall. In the North Hall, wreaths presented by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the Central Military Commission, various democratic parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and non-party patriots were placed directly in front of the seated statue of Comrade Mao Zedong. Xi Jinping and others bowed three times to the seated statue of Comrade Mao Zedong, then proceeded to the viewing hall to pay respects to Comrade Mao Zedong's remains.