Chinese Communist Party centenary: Xi Jinping set to lead celebrations and issue rallying cry for future
- Observers say the event will be an opportunity for Xi to cement his hold on power and status as heir to Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping
- Few details of the event in Tiananmen Square have been released, but it is expected to feature a parade and fly-past by warplanes
President Xi Jinping is expected to use his keynote address marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party on Thursday to cement his position in history and rally the nation to face a monumental set of challenges ahead.
Few details about the grand celebration in central Beijing have been revealed, except that it will begin at 8am in Tiananmen Square. Xi, as the head of the party, is to deliver a speech and preside over a parade featuring representatives from all walks of life in a symbolic show of unity.
Sources said Xi would be joined by other top leaders as well as prominent party elders. All eyes will be watching to see whether his predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao will appear alongside him at the Gate of Heavenly Peace.
Meticulously planned, the event will become an occasion for Xi to enshrine his position in party history.
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Exhibitions and history lessons: China prepares to mark 100 years of the Communist Party
“The parade will be organised according to the different periods of the past 100 years, highlighting the achievements of the party and, most importantly, the policy priorities of Xi in going forward,” said one source who has watched rehearsals for the event.
