Is the CCP the most loyal successor to Sun Yat-sen? Scholar: Xi Jinping returns to imperialism

Chinese officials held a "meeting to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen" in Beijing today. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, made a significant mention of Taiwan in his speech, and even mentioned the "Three People's Principles" five times. He claimed that the historical trend is unstoppable and that "the complete reunification of the motherland" must be realized. "Solving the Taiwan issue is an unshakable historical task of the Chinese Communist Party." Scholars criticized that Sun Yat-sen overthrew the imperial system, but Xi Jinping returned to the imperial system. The best way to commemorate Sun Yat-sen is to return power to the people.

The "Conference to Commemorate the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Dr. Sun Yat-sen" was held grandly in Beijing this morning. Xi Jinping attended and delivered an important speech. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi attended the conference. The CCP also invited Taiwanese political parties and individuals to participate.

Xi Jinping pointed out that Mr. Sun Yat-sen has always insisted on safeguarding "national unity and ethnic unity" and resolutely opposed all remarks and actions that split the country and the nation. "The Communists of China are the staunchest supporters, most loyal collaborators, and most loyal successors of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary cause," and stressed that the CCP's governance achievements "can fully comfort Mr. Sun Yat-sen's heroic spirit."

Xi Jinping choked out that "resolving the Taiwan issue and realizing the complete reunification of the motherland" is an unswerving historical mission of the Chinese Communist Party. In the future, it will adhere to the policy of "peaceful reunification and one country, two systems" and conduct dialogue and consultation on cross-strait relations and "national reunification" on the basis of adhering to the "one China principle" and the "1992 Consensus." But it will never leave any room for various forms of "Taiwan independence separatist activities."

Hong Puzhao, director of the Global Strategy and Democratic Resilience Research Center at Taipei City University, said in an interview today that Xi Jinping’s high-profile commemoration of the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s birth is a carefully arranged historical narrative. Xi deliberately magnified Sun Yat-sen's historical status, and then claimed that the Communist Party of China was the most faithful successor to Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary cause. He described the CCP's century-old development and Chinese-style modernization as the realization of Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary ideals. Xi Jinping used this to portray the Communist Party of China as the orthodox successor of China's modern revolution, downplay the historical fact that Sun Yat-sen founded the Republic of China, strengthen the political legitimacy of the People's Republic of China, and finally cited Sun Yat-sen's advocacy of national reunification to establish a historical basis for China's reunification policy towards Taiwan.

Hong Puzhao pointed out that the Chinese Communist Party’s reinterpretation of Sun Yat-sen’s thought was fundamentally inconsistent with the spirit of civil rights advocated by Sun Yat-sen. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the monarchy and established a republic. He proposed the Three Principles of the Nation, Democracy and People's Livelihood, advocating that sovereignty lies with the people and making the people the masters of the country. However, Xi Jinping deliberately downplays the spirit of civil rights and combines patriotism with love for the party and love for socialism. He also revised the constitution in 2018 to remove the limit of two consecutive terms for the president, thus highly concentrating state power on individuals. The Communist Party of China claims to inherit Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary legacy, but its actual political actions run counter to its ideas on civil rights.

Hong Puzhao analyzed that Xi Jinping used Sun Yat-sen's historical status to shape cross-strait reunification as a historical task to fulfill the revolutionary legacy, and attempted to win Taiwan society's recognition of China's reunification proposition through the common historical memory of both sides. Xi Jinping used this to deny the political subject status of the Republic of China in Taiwan and strengthen the People's Republic of China's sovereignty claims over Taiwan. The historical background of Sun Yat-sen's pursuit of national reunification cannot be confused with today's political reality on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Hong Pu-chao emphasized that Taiwan is a country that has experienced democratization, direct presidential election and political party rotation. The people decide their own government and political future through elections. This is the concrete practice of the sovereignty of the people and the spirit of civil rights advocated by Sun Yat-sen. The Chinese Communist Party has no right to deny the democratic choice of the Taiwanese people by reinterpreting Sun Yat-sen's thought.

Hong Ye criticized that if Xi Jinping really wants to inherit Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary spirit, he should face up to the idea of ​​civil rights in the Three People's Principles, so that the Chinese people can truly enjoy political rights and be able to freely choose their own leaders. Instead of clamoring to inherit Sun Yat-sen's legacy and demand cross-strait reunification, the Chinese Communist Party should first practice the sovereignty advocated by Sun Yat-sen and reside in the people. Sun Yat-sen overthrew the imperial system, but Xi Jinping returned to the imperial system. The best way to commemorate Sun Yat-sen is to return power to the people.