Xi Calls for New Achievements Inspired by the Long March

Dragon Media Newsroom

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for new achievements as China marks the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s victory in the Long March. “Only by remembering history can we build a brighter future,” he said at a commemorative gathering in Beijing on Thursday.

From 1934 to 1936, the Red Army covered about 12,500 kilometers while breaking through an encirclement by Kuomintang forces. The campaign helped lay the foundations for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution, the Xinhua News Agency reported. About 86,000 soldiers began the march from Jiangxi Province in eastern China.

Xi said the spirit of the Long March embodied loyalty, truth, justice and unity. Courage in the face of hardship and confidence in the people were among its key lessons, he said, adding that China needed the same resolve to achieve modernization and national rejuvenation.

Chinese experts said the Long March offered lessons in self-reliance, assessing conditions realistically and adapting strategy as circumstances change. Yang Zhe, a professor at Beijing Forestry University, said that finding a way forward suited to China’s own conditions was essential when established approaches could not address new challenges. He compared the challenges China faces today in technology, energy transition and national security to new “snow-capped mountains and grasslands.”

The article cited China’s advances in artificial intelligence, nuclear energy, biotechnology and the retrieval of rock samples from the far side of the Moon. In the first half of 2026, China’s installed renewable energy capacity reached 2.455 billion kilowatts, accounting for 60.7 percent of its total installed power capacity. By the end of July, installed solar capacity had surpassed coal-fired capacity.

Xi also called for accelerating the development of the People’s Liberation Army into a world-class military and upholding the Communist Party of China’s leadership over the armed forces. He emphasized strengthening Party building and maintaining strict internal discipline. China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026 to 2030, includes goals for modernizing national defense and the armed forces.

Chinese military affairs expert Song Zhongping said military technology and capability development formed part of a new Long March. The Red Army’s victory despite limited resources, he said, offered lessons that remain relevant in today’s complex international environment.