Xi pays tribute to marshals of China’s Communist revolution – except one
But insider says ‘counter-revolutionary’ Lin Biao was unlikely to make president’s list of military heroes in era of loyalty above all else
When President Xi Jinping paid tribute to Communist revolutionary marshals at an event marking the 90th anniversary of the PLA on Tuesday, he skipped a key name – Lin Biao.
Lin, who played a pivotal role in toppling the Kuomintang regime during the civil war in 1949, had been heir apparent to late chairman Mao Zedong before their relations soured in the early 1970s.
The Chinese government now says Lin led a counter-revolutionary and anti-Communist clique. One Beijing insider said it was no surprise that his name was passed over given that loyalty was the most important attribute for cadres under Xi.
The president began his speech with praise for the militarisation of the Communist Party and the contribution of the People’s Liberation Army in defeating the Kuomintang.
“In this glorious and solemn moment, let us cherish the memory of the revolutionary and military veterans who set up and cultivated the people’s army, such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De and Deng Xiaoping,” Xi told senior officials at the Great Hall of the People.