Acsah H Acsah H is a postgraduate student at the Department of Geopolitics and International Relations, Manipal Institute of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, MAHE, Manipal, Udupi. She is currently a research intern at the National Institute of Advanced

On 01 July, China’s President Xi Jinping addressed a gathering in Beijing to mark the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), outlining the Party's achievements, future priorities, and vision for China's development and global role.   During the event, he conferred the July 1 Medal, the Party's highest individual honour, on distinguished Party members, in the presence of senior leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Vice-President Han Zheng.

Following are the five takeaways from Xi's address.

1. CPC as the driving force behind China's transformation
In his address, President Xi presented the party’s history as the "most magnificent epic" of China. Underlining that China over the century has undergone tremendous change that can be measured. This has lifted millions of people in China out of poverty and connected its regions with modern infrastructure. He also added that China is emerging as a global leader in various sectors of manufacturing, scientific innovation, digital technology, and renewable energy. Xi emphasized the important role of CPC in adapting the ideology of Marxism to China’s national conditions. He also added that: "Time stops for no one, and neither does history,” pressing the party to continue the pursuit of socialist modernisation of the country and not to slow the pace. This demonstrated that China’s model of modernisation is different from that of the western model that has been influencing countries around the world. He recognised modernisation not simply as one that focuses on economic growth but on the improvement of the overall quality of life for people. He reaffirmed the timeline to realise modernisation by 2035 and to build a great modern socialist country by mid-century. 

2. A faster push towards national rejuvenation and "world-class" military
First, President Xi stated that the CPC opened the path for national rejuvenation by influencing the course of world history and placing China as a crucial player in global governance. Referring to China’s global role through initiatives that promote development through infrastructure, trade, investment, green initiatives, and technology cooperation. He framed party's central mission as delivering "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” 

Second, President Xi also urged the party to have absolute leadership over the armed forces and the People's Liberation Army to meet its centenary goals by its founding anniversary on 01 August 2027, wanting it to be a "world-class" force. Military strength and political loyalty are being pursued as one project. 

3. CPC’s core ideology remains the core of governance
President Xi reiterated that "This country is its people; the people are the country.” He emphasised that all governance efforts must translate into tangible benefits for the public, driving shared prosperity and meeting the populace's aspirations for a better life. He vowed to win the "tough, protracted and all-out battle against corruption" and to eliminate "all viruses that erode the party's healthy body" and factors undermining its "purity." This came after he oversaw investigations of millions of officials, including top generals. The anti-graft message is not a new announcement but rather a signal of intensification and continued demand for discipline. 

4. Support for adaptability and building international order
President Xi also warned that China faces a period where "strategic opportunities, risks and challenges coexist," urging the Party to withstand "high winds and rough waves" and even "violent storms." He did not name specific threats; however, sources fill the gaps and point to Western curbs on technology. He stated that China does not seek to replace the existing global system but aims to change and adapt it. He called for building "a new type of international relations" based on cooperation rather than zero-sum games or hegemony. 

5. CPC’s mission to complete reunification
President Xi repeated that resolving the Taiwan question and achieving "complete reunification" is the party's unswerving historic mission. As he places emphasis on sovereignty and national independence, this reflects China’s domestic priorities and its foreign policy principle that countries should resolve their own internal affairs without external interference. Under the goal of unification, Xi pledges to crack down on independent "separatist forces" and oppose external interference while also calling for cross-strait exchanges and economic integration. 

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