Chinese President Xi Jinping channels spirit of Mao Zedong as he sends unity message to Communist Party in hallowed revolutionary site
- Party head says ‘unity is strength’ in message to Xibaipo, a town where Mao had his headquarters before taking Beijing in 1949
- Leadership is expected to draw heavily on history in the run-up to its centenary later this year
State media reported that Xi had told party members in Beizhuang village in Xibaipo – a small town southwest of Beijing that is little known outside of China but widely revered among party loyalists for its association with Mao Zedong – “unity is strength, which is as strong as iron and steel”, in reference to an old revolutionary song.
“The history of the CCP, over the past 100 years, has seen the Communist Party uniting and leading the people to strive for a better life, of which the people and cadres who lived in Xibaipo have a very deep understanding,” he said.
The Communist Party will celebrate its 100th anniversary in July and Xibaipo occupies a special place in its history as it was the last headquarters of Mao before he moved to Beijing and proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949.
Xi visited the town in July 2013 – one year after he became general secretary of the party – urging cadres to follow the “mass line” and stay in touch with the public.
Political analysts said Xi, who has started a campaign to study the party’s history, had turned to Mao’s playbook to bolster his authority.