Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 12
Speech at the meeting commemorating the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen
(November 12, 2026)
Xi Jinping
Comrades and friends:
Today, we solemnly gather to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, remember his immortal contributions to national independence, social progress, and people's happiness, learn, inherit, and carry forward his precious spirit, and inspire all Chinese people at home and abroad to unite and strive for the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation through Chinese-style modernization.
Mr. Sun Yat-sen is a great national hero, a great patriot, and a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution. At the time when he was born, our country was suffering from barbaric aggression by Western powers and the decadent rule of feudal autocracy. The Chinese nation was suffering from internal and external troubles. Faced with broken mountains and rivers and turbulent storms, the heroic Chinese people never gave in. Countless people with lofty ideals rose up to fight and struggled to find a way to save the country and the people. Mr. Sun Yat-sen is an outstanding representative among them.
Mr. Sun Yat-sen "dedicated himself to the national revolution for forty years." He devoted his whole life to transforming China and made outstanding contributions to the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. He held high the banner of opposing feudal autocratic rule, put forward the Three People's Principles political program of nation, civil rights and people's livelihood, and was the first to shout the loud slogan "Revitalize China". He widely spread revolutionary ideas and launched continuous armed uprisings, which promoted the formation of the revolutionary trend. The Revolution of 1911 led by him overthrew the autocratic monarchy that had ruled China for thousands of years, opened the floodgates for China's progress, established Asia's first republican country, profoundly promoted China's social change, and explored the path for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Influenced by the October Revolution and Marxism-Leninism, with the help of the Communist Party of China, he developed the old Three People's Principles into the new Three People's Principles, implemented the three major policies of allying with Russia, allying with the Communist Party, and supporting agriculture and industry, reorganized the Chinese Kuomintang, promoted the victory of the Northern Expedition, and pushed forward the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal democratic revolution.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen's outstanding contributions will forever be remembered in history. He enjoys high prestige in the hearts of the Chinese people and is sincerely admired by all Chinese people at home and abroad. Today, the Chinese people are vigorously advancing Chinese-style modernization and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, which has entered an irreversible historical process. At this moment, when we look back on Mr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary career and remember his great achievements, our hearts are filled with deep respect.
Comrades and friends!
The Chinese Communists are the staunchest supporters, most loyal collaborators, and most loyal successors of Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary cause. For more than 100 years, our party has led the people to create great achievements in the new democratic revolution, socialist revolution and construction, reform and opening up, socialist modernization, and socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, and wrote the most magnificent epic in the thousands-year history of the Chinese nation. Many of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's ideas about the future construction of China, such as building railways, paving roads, opening communications, developing water conservancy, digging canals, building ports, building factories and mines, and a series of grand blueprints described in the "National Founding Strategy" have not only become a reality, but are also richer and more ambitious than what he imagined and described. Now, our great motherland stands tall in the east of the world, its economic aggregate ranks second in the world, and its people have achieved an all-round moderately prosperous life. The Chinese nation has ushered in a great leap from standing up, getting rich, and becoming strong, and is constantly making new contributions to the development and progress of human society. All this can completely comfort Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s heroic spirit.
Comrades and friends!
For more than 100 years, Dr. Sun Yat-sen's slogan of "Revitalizing China" has inspired generations of Chinese people, and has been constantly given new meaning and connotation of the times. Today, the best way we can commemorate Dr. Sun Yat-sen is to learn, inherit, and carry forward his precious spirit and continuously push forward the great cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the nation.
——Mr. Sun Yat-sen devoted his life to patriotism and saving the country. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must promote the spirit of patriotism and strive to realize the prosperity of the motherland. Mr. Sun Yat-sen had a strong patriotic enthusiasm to "dedicate himself to repaying our country" and believed that "the greatest thing in life" is "to know how to be patriotic". "The right to development will survive if it is left to me, but it will perish if it is left to others." "It is entirely our own responsibility to save China." Determined to shoulder such a responsibility, he worked tirelessly throughout his life in order to "help the building before it collapses" and for China to become "the most prosperous and powerful country in the world" and "the most peaceful country in the world".
On the new journey, we must adhere to the unity of patriotism, love for the Party, and love for socialism, adhere to the overall leadership of the Party and the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, strengthen confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and inspire all Chinese people at home and abroad to continue to cultivate patriotism, sharpen the ambition to strengthen the country, advance the victory of Chinese modernization, and jointly build a better motherland.
——Mr. Sun Yat-sen cared about the people throughout his life. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must always put the people first and serve the people wholeheartedly. Mr. Sun Yat-sen had deep feelings for the people and believed that "the foundation of the country lies in the people." He vowed to "pursue the people's livelihood and happiness" and firmly believed that revolution "is to remove the worries of the people." He pointed out: "What the people cannot do, we must do for them; what the people have no rights, we must fight for them." He emphasized that "the Three People's Principles are for the people," advocated "equal land rights" and "control of capital," and was committed to realizing "everyone enjoys economic equality and happiness without the problem of inequality." He has worked hard all his life for the Chinese people to become "the happiest people in the world."
On the new journey, we must keep in mind that the country is the people and the people are the country. We must stand firm on the people's stand, grasp the people's wishes, respect the people's creativity, and pool the people's wisdom. We must develop people's democracy throughout the process to protect and improve people's livelihood, so that the results of modernization can benefit all people more and more equitably, and take solid steps to promote the all-round development of people and the common prosperity of all people.
——Dr. Sun Yat-sen pursued truth throughout his life. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must adhere to the "two combinations" and constantly promote theoretical innovation based on practice. Mr. Sun Yat-sen had the ambition to "finish the world" when he was young. He has been extensively studying advanced knowledge and useful ideological achievements in order to "fit with the trend of the world and meet the needs of the people." After joining the revolution, he clearly realized that "the success of the revolution must depend on the change of ideas." He actively explored the truth from revolutionary practice and worked hard to improve his revolutionary ideas and struggle strategies. In order to promote "the true solution to China's problems," he spent his life searching hard and persistently.
On the new journey, we must persist in combining the basic principles of Marxism with China's specific reality and with China's excellent traditional culture, be brave in theoretical exploration and innovation, scientifically answer questions about China, the world, the people, and the times, advance with the times to enrich and develop socialist thought with Chinese characteristics for a new era, and constantly write a new chapter in the modernization of Marxism in China.
——Mr. Sun Yat-sen was indomitable throughout his life. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must have the courage to overcome difficulties and rely on tenacious struggle to open up new horizons for career development. Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary career has been full of setbacks and hardships, but he has always insisted on "my ambition, and I will move forward indomitably. The more setbacks I get, the more energetic I will be, and I will keep working hard." When he was dying, he still kept in mind "peace, struggle, and saving China", and truly achieved the goal of endless life and endless struggle.
On the new journey, we must coordinate the overall domestic and international situations, coordinate development and security, carry forward the spirit of struggle, enhance the ability to fight, not be afraid of any difficulties, not succumb to any enemies, be ready to withstand major tests in high winds, waves and even stormy seas, make every effort to overcome various risks and challenges on the way forward, and constantly win new victories in the great struggle of the new era.
——Dr. Sun Yat-sen advocated unity throughout his life. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must adhere to the united front and continue to consolidate and develop the great unity of all Chinese people. In promoting the revolution, Mr. Sun Yat-sen has always emphasized that "the revolutionary cause is initiated by the people and is accomplished by the people." He was committed to "awakening the people", running around, breaking through many obstacles, taking advantage of various opportunities to publicize revolutionary ideas to the domestic people and overseas Chinese, attracting more people to support the revolutionary cause, and extensively uniting forces from all parties to "take the same step, focus on the country's centenary plan, and work hard." His united front policy, together with the political program of the Three People's Principles and the spirit of hard struggle, were praised by Comrade Mao Zedong as "the most central, most essential and greatest legacy left to us."
On the new journey, we must always adhere to the great unity and alliance, unite all forces that can be united, mobilize all positive factors that can be mobilized, promote harmonious relations between political parties, ethnic groups, religions, classes, and compatriots at home and abroad, consolidate and develop the broadest patriotic united front, and gather the powerful force to promote Chinese-style modernization.
——Mr. Sun Yat-sen had the world in mind throughout his life. To learn, inherit and carry forward his precious spirit, we must vigorously promote the common values of all mankind and actively promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind. Dr. Sun Yat-sen viewed the relationship between China and the world from a broad perspective. He not only placed the Chinese revolution in the entire era, but also examined China's development in the context of world trends. He emphasized that if China becomes strong, it "will also bear a great responsibility for the world"; he predicted that once the great goal of reforming China is achieved, "the entire human race will be able to share a brighter future." He regards "the world is for the common good" as "the purpose of human evolution" and "the hope of mankind". He advocates the implementation of "openism" and pays attention to mutual learning among civilizations but will never "follow the old path of Western civilization."
On the new journey, we must always pay attention to the future and destiny of mankind from a global perspective, correctly understand and handle the relationship with the outside world from the perspective of the general trend of human development, the general pattern of world changes, and the history of China's development, carry forward the common values of all mankind of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, actively promote the implementation of the four major global initiatives, and make China's contribution to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
Comrades and friends!
Mr. Sun Yat-sen has always firmly safeguarded national unity and ethnic unity, and resolutely opposed all remarks and actions that split the country and the nation. He emphasized that "China is a unified country", exclaimed that "'unification' is the hope of all Chinese people", and said that "I will use all my influence to work for the reunification of the country." His strong desire and firm will for the reunification of the motherland have always inspired, educated and inspired all Chinese people.
In the long history of more than 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, the indivisibility of the land, the insecurity of the country, the inseparability of the nation, and the inexorable civilization have always been the common beliefs engraved in the bones of all Chinese people. Solving the Taiwan issue and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland is the unswerving historical task of the Communist Party of China, the common aspiration of all Chinese people, and the inevitable requirement for realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
The compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are all Chinese, and we are a family connected by blood, with blood thicker than water. When a family gets along, as long as they have good conversations and discuss matters, there will be no conflicts or differences that cannot be resolved. For a long time, we have adhered to the concept of "Two sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family", continued to deepen cross-Strait exchanges and integration, and enhanced the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. Looking into the future, we adhere to the policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems". On the basis of adhering to the one-China principle and the "1992 Consensus", we are willing to engage in dialogue and consultation with people of insight from all walks of life in Taiwan on cross-strait relations and national reunification. We will definitely take into account the actual situation in Taiwan and take full care of the interests and feelings of Taiwan compatriots, but we will never leave any room for various forms of "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.
Taiwan's future lies in national reunification, and the interests and well-being of Taiwan compatriots depend on the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. Compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and all Chinese people at home and abroad must join hands to jointly oppose the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and work together for the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations and the complete reunification of the motherland. The historical trend is unstoppable, and the complete reunification of the motherland must be achieved and can be achieved!
Comrades and friends!
Comprehensively promoting the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization is a new long march for the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people, and it is also the only way to realize Dr. Sun Yat-sen's ideal of "revitalizing China." I call on all Chinese people at home and abroad to unite more closely, inherit the legacy of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, work together to celebrate the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and continue to turn the great dream that people of all ethnic groups in our country have pursued since modern times into a beautiful reality!
