Chinese Leadership Invokes Long March Legacy to Mobilize New Era Ambitions

On 22 October 2026, Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed a solemn gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the Red Army’s historic Long March. The event, broadcast by state media and highlighted in a CGTN video report, was more than a ritual remembrance; it was a strategic rallying call that linked the mythic endurance of the 1934‑1935 trek with the Party’s contemporary agenda across the military, the economy, and the nation’s multi‑ethnic fabric. By invoking the “great spirit of the Long March” and urging the Party, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and all Chinese peoples to “forge ahead on the new Long March,” President Xi framed a narrative of continuity that serves both domestic mobilization and external signaling. This article unpacks the political symbolism of the speech, situates it within the broader trajectory of Party historiography, and assesses its implications for China’s strategic posture in 2026.

Historical Resonance of the Long March in Party Mythology

The Long March occupies a central place in the Chinese Communist Party’s collective memory. As the epic retreat that saved the nascent Red Army from annihilation, it has been mythologized as a crucible of revolutionary will, sacrifice, and unity. Since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, successive generations of Party leaders have invoked the March to legitimize campaigns ranging from the Great Leap Forward to the Reform and Opening era. The 90th anniversary marks a rare milestone that allows the Party to refresh the symbolism for a new cohort of leaders and citizens.

President Xi’s speech, as reported by CGTN, explicitly called on “the whole Party, the entire military and Chinese people of all ethnic groups” to emulate the Long March’s spirit. By naming the ethnic dimension, Xi underscores the Party’s long‑standing emphasis on national unity across China’s 56 recognized ethnicities, a theme that has been reinforced in recent white papers on ethnic policy. The invocation of “new achievements on the new Long March” signals an intention to translate historical reverence into concrete policy goals, echoing past uses of the Long March narrative to rally mass mobilization for economic and security objectives.

In the broader context of Chinese historiography, the 90th anniversary serves as a platform for the Party to reaffirm its foundational myth at a time when internal challenges—demographic slowdown, regional disparities, and a shifting global order—require renewed ideological cohesion. The speech’s timing, shortly after the Party’s 20th National Congress, aligns with Xi’s ongoing consolidation of power and his emphasis on “self‑reliance” in the face of external pressures, particularly from the United States and its allies.

Domestic Mobilization: Party, Military, and Ethnic Unity

The CGTN report highlights that Xi addressed three principal constituencies: the Party apparatus, the PLA, and the nation’s ethnic groups. Each audience receives a tailored message that reinforces the Party’s central role in guiding China’s development. For Party cadres, the call to “strive for new achievements” resonates with the ongoing “dual circulation” strategy, which seeks to balance domestic consumption with external trade. By linking this economic agenda to the Long March’s endurance, Xi frames economic reform as a patriotic undertaking.

For the military, the speech’s emphasis on “the entire military” reflects the PLA’s evolving mission set. Since the 2015 military reforms, the PLA has been reshaped into a joint force capable of power projection in the Indo‑Pacific. The Long March metaphor underscores the PLA’s need for perseverance and adaptability, qualities the Party deems essential as it confronts perceived encirclement by U.S. alliances and regional security challenges. The speech thus serves as a morale‑boosting reminder that the PLA’s role is not merely defensive but integral to the nation’s broader strategic resurgence.

Finally, addressing “Chinese people of all ethnic groups” reasserts the Party’s narrative of a harmonious multi‑ethnic nation. Recent policy documents have emphasized “common prosperity” and “cultural confidence” among minorities, seeking to preempt separatist sentiments. By invoking the Long March—a story of collective struggle—Xi subtly reinforces the expectation that all ethnic groups contribute to the national project, aligning cultural integration with economic development targets.

Strategic Messaging to the International Community

Beyond domestic audiences, the Long March anniversary functions as a diplomatic signal. The speech’s broadcast through CGTN, a global Chinese-language outlet, ensures that foreign observers receive a calibrated message: China is drawing on its revolutionary heritage to justify an assertive, forward‑looking agenda. In the context of heightened U.S.-China competition over technology, trade, and regional influence, the “new Long March” can be read as a pledge to pursue strategic autonomy.

The timing of the speech—just weeks after the U.S. announced new export controls on advanced semiconductors—adds weight to this interpretation. By emphasizing “self‑reliance” and “new achievements,” Xi signals that China will accelerate its efforts to achieve technological independence, a theme repeatedly echoed in recent State Council white papers on innovation. The Long March metaphor thus becomes a rallying cry for indigenous development in critical sectors such as AI, quantum communications, and advanced manufacturing.

Furthermore, the reference to “all ethnic groups” carries an implicit message to neighboring states with significant minority populations, such as Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and Vietnam. By portraying ethnic unity as a cornerstone of national strength, Beijing underscores its expectation that minority issues be managed within the framework of state sovereignty, a stance that may influence diplomatic engagements on human rights and cross‑border ethnic ties.

Economic Implications: Aligning the Long March with Dual Circulation

The speech’s call for “new achievements” dovetails with the Party’s dual‑circulation policy, which aims to reduce vulnerability to external shocks by expanding domestic demand while maintaining a robust export sector. By invoking the Long March’s spirit of perseverance, Xi encourages enterprises and local governments to intensify innovation and productivity, thereby feeding the domestic market and enhancing the quality of Chinese goods abroad.

In practice, this translates into heightened emphasis on high‑value‑added manufacturing, green technologies, and digital services. The Party’s recent guidance to “forge ahead on the new Long March” can be interpreted as an exhortation for state‑owned enterprises and private firms alike to align their strategic plans with national priorities, such as carbon neutrality and supply‑chain resilience. The speech therefore reinforces policy signals that have already been reflected in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s latest industrial upgrade plan.

Moreover, the emphasis on “all ethnic groups” suggests a push to integrate minority regions more fully into the national economy. Infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative and the domestic “Western Development” strategy are likely to receive renewed political support, ensuring that resource‑rich but under‑developed provinces contribute to the broader economic thrust. This aligns with the Party’s long‑term goal of reducing regional disparities, a factor that also underpins social stability.

Implications for Regional Stability and Security Dynamics

The Long March speech, while primarily symbolic, carries concrete implications for regional security. By calling on the PLA to “forge ahead on the new Long March,” Xi reinforces the narrative that the military’s role extends beyond traditional defense to supporting the Party’s broader strategic objectives. This includes safeguarding maritime routes, protecting overseas interests, and deterring perceived encirclement.

In the South China Sea, for example, the PLA’s naval modernization continues to be a point of tension with Vietnam, the Philippines, and the United States. The speech’s emphasis on perseverance can be read as an affirmation of China’s resolve to maintain its claims and to continue building artificial islands and deploying advanced missile systems. Similarly, on the Taiwan Strait, the rhetoric of a “new Long March” may be intended to signal that the Party will persist in its reunification goal, employing both diplomatic pressure and military preparedness.

Beyond the immediate theater, the speech also reinforces China’s commitment to multilateral institutions where it seeks to shape norms, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS grouping. By framing the Long March as a collective endeavor, Xi positions China as a leader of a broader coalition of developing nations, thereby expanding its diplomatic leverage against Western dominance. This strategic outreach is likely to intensify as China seeks to secure supply‑chain partners and political allies for its long‑term development plans.

Long‑Term Strategic Outlook: From Myth to Policy

In sum, President Xi’s address at the 90th anniversary of the Long March serves as a bridge between mythic history and contemporary policy. By invoking a seminal episode of revolutionary endurance, he seeks to galvanize the Party, the military, and the nation’s diverse peoples toward a set of intertwined objectives: economic self‑reliance, technological advancement, military modernization, and geopolitical assertiveness. The speech, as captured in the CGTN video, thus functions as a calibrated piece of political theater that reinforces internal cohesion while sending a clear signal to the international community.

Looking ahead, the “new Long March” will likely manifest in concrete policy initiatives across multiple domains. In the economic sphere, we can expect accelerated reforms aimed at boosting domestic consumption and fostering high‑tech industries. In the security realm, the PLA will continue to expand its joint operational capabilities, emphasizing readiness to protect China’s core interests. Diplomatically, Beijing will leverage its historical narrative to deepen ties with developing nations, positioning itself as a champion of sovereign development against perceived external interference.

For analysts monitoring China’s trajectory, the speech underscores the Party’s reliance on historical symbolism to legitimize contemporary ambitions. It reminds us that Chinese policy is often communicated through a blend of ideological continuity and pragmatic adaptation. As the Party charts its “new Long March,” the world will watch how this blend of myth and material policy shapes the balance of power in Asia and beyond, influencing supply‑chain configurations, regional security calculations, and the broader contest for global influence in the coming decade.

By Prof. Marcus Chen, Staff Writer

This article was produced with AI-assisted research and editorial support. Reporting is based on the source material cited below. Sources: CGTN video report (23 October 2026); CGTN; Global1.News