Xi administers loyalty pledge ahead of CPC’s centenary
Beijing, June 20: Ahead of China's ruling Communist Party's centenary celebrations, President Xi Jinping, who has emerged as its leader on par with its founder Mao Zedong, has publicly administered loyalty pledge to senior party leaders calling them to follow the "leadership core" and strive for the country's modernisation and national rejuvenation.
Since Xi took over power in December 2012, he has been officially declared as the "core leader" of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
Standing ahead of the 25-member Politburo of the party, which included No.2 leader Premier Li Keqiang, during a visit to an exhibition at the newly-inaugurated museum of the CPC in Beijing on Friday, Xi administered the pledge which was telecast by the state-run television channels.
With over 90 million members, the CPC, which was founded by Mao in 1921, remained the ruling party since the People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded in 1949. The centenary celebrations will be held on July 1 and the party has planned many events, including a military parade.
The
party
is
celebrating
its
centenary
year
amid
growing
global
hostility
towards
China
over
Covid-19
origin,
allegations
of
human
rights
violations
in
Xinjiang,
Hong
Kong
and
Tibet.
Xi,
67,
who
succeeded
his
predecessor
Hu
Jintao
in
December
2012,
quickly
consolidated
his
position
heading
the
party,
the
powerful
military
and
the
presidency
was
conferred
the
"core" leader
title
doing
away
with
the
collective
leadership.
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In
his
speech
at
the
exhibition,
Xi
called
on
the
members
of
the
CPC
to
draw
strength
from
the
party's
history
and
strive
for
China's
modernisation
and
national
rejuvenation.
He
said,
"It
is
necessary
for
them
to
strengthen
their
awareness
of
the
need
to
maintain
political
integrity,
think
in
big-picture
terms,
follow
the
leadership
core,
and
keep
in
alignment
with
the
central
party
leadership,"
state-run
Xinhua
news
agency
reported.
Xi is originally set to retire like his predecessors after his second term in 2023, but expected to continue for life as the top legislature National People's Congress (NPC) amended the Constitution in 2018, removing two five-year term limits, paving the way for his lifelong tenure in power.
He also administered the pledge, which said, "It is my will join the Communist Party of China, uphold the party programme, observe the party's Constitution, fulfill my party member duties, carry out party decisions, strictly observe party discipline, guard party secrets, be loyal to the party , work hard, fight for Communism throughout my life and to be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the party and people and never betray the party."
The exhibition themed "staying true to the founding mission," was opened on Friday at the newly-inaugurated museum of the CPC in Beijing ahead of the CPC centenary. In his speech, Xi said the party members should remain confident in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, as well as always closely follow the CPC Central Committee in terms of their thinking, political orientation and actions.
"The
party's
history
is
the
most
vivid
and
convincing
textbook,"
Xi
stressed.
Efforts
should
be
made
to
educate
and
guide
party
members
and
officials
to
stay
true
to
the
original
aspiration
and
founding
mission
of
the
party,
Xi
noted.
More than 2,600 pictures and 3,500 artefacts about the party's history are on display at the exhibition.