Xi touts China Communist Party’s global influence in speech marking 105th anniversary
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 1, 2026, to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the ruling Communist Party of China.
Eunice Yoon | CNBC
BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday emphasized the global influence of the ruling Communist Party of China as he marked the 105th anniversary and struck a more outgoing tone than in previous speeches.
These statements, which lasted about 40 minutes, contrasted with Xi’s previous speeches on similar occasions focusing on China’s “national revitalization”.
Xi said the Chinese Communist Party “has profoundly changed the course and course of the world’s development through relentless struggle,” according to CNBC’s Mandarin translation.
Xi, who is also the party’s general secretary, described the CCP as “the world’s largest ruling party with significant global influence.” He said that the CCP enabled China to overthrow imperialism, feudalism and bureaucratic capitalism and paved the way for industrialization.
The CCP was founded on July 1, 1921, and established the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Only in the last few decades has the economy begun to gradually open up to foreign investment and trade, becoming the world’s second largest economy in 2010.
China accounts for about 28% of goods produced globally, despite US and EU tariffs.
These changes are accelerating and “the world has entered a new era of turbulence and transformation,” Xi said on Wednesday, relying on his often-used phrase “changes not seen in a century.”
In this context, Xi said that China will “promote the construction of new types of international relations”, but did not specify specific countries.
Xi is scheduled to visit the United States in September, following President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing in May.
“A strong country must have a strong army, and only a strong army can ensure national security,” Xi said on Wednesday. he said.
According to the budget plan announced by the Ministry of Finance in March, China will increase its defense expenditures by 7% this year; This would be the slowest increase in annual military spending since 2021. The country ranks second after the United States in military spending.
Xi, who is currently serving an unprecedented third term as president, also used the speech to boost confidence in long-term national goals.
The Chinese leader reiterated his opposition to efforts for “Taiwan independence” and “foreign intervention” in the issue, adding that “it is the party’s unwavering historical responsibility to resolve the Taiwan issue and realize complete reunification with the motherland.”
Regarding Hong Kong and Macau, Xi called for “promoting long-term prosperity and stability” while noting that the integration of the two regions should be supported to serve China’s overall development.
