Xi Jinping points to China’s cultural past to shape country’s future
- Xi returns to his political roots in first trip since the national legislature passed the latest five-year plan
- As Beijing comes under pressure from the West, president seeks to project image of calm, observer says
In the first stop of the trip in Wuyishan, Fujian province, on Monday, Xi visited a park dedicated to Zhu Xi, a 12th century Confucian scholar, and said the past was central to identity.
“Taking the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, we must continue to adapt Marxism to China’s conditions,” Xi was quoted by state news agency Xinhua as saying.
“Without [an understanding of] the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation, how can we have Chinese characteristics? Without such Chinese characteristics, how could we have the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics that led to our success today?”
Xi has repeatedly sought to graft ancient Chinese values onto party doctrine since coming to power almost a decade ago.
In 2013, he visited Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius, and stressed the importance of traditional Chinese culture in his grand plan of national rejuvenation.