BEIJING (AP), During celebrations for the centenary celebrations of the ruling Communist Party's founding, Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded loyal party members medals and asked them to adhere to Marxism.Tuesday's ceremony featured Xis' speech. It followed a celebration at Beijings Olympic Stadium on Monday night that highlighted Chinas rise in economic and political prominence due to reforms more than 40 years ago.While allowing private industry to flourish, the ruling party maintained a strong grip on political power and preferential policies towards state-run businesses.Xi urged all party comrades to take their faith and socialism with Chinese characteristics into their lives, in his address for medal winners. The celebrations will conclude Thursday at Beijing's Tiananmen Square with a memorial.Xi is China's most powerful ruler, having held the position of party chief for nine years. He succeeded Mao Zedong in 1949, when he founded the People's Republic.Xi, like Mao, isn't bound by term limits. At 68, he will likely continue to be in office for many years. While repressing all signs of political opposition in his country and promoting an Anti-Corruption Campaign, he has pushed an assertive foreign policy to control the South China Sea and intimidate Taiwan into accepting Beijing’s control. He also joined Russia in challenging U.S. involvement in international affairs.China's Communist Party boasts nearly 92 million members. This is just over 6% of its population of 1.4billion. Party members make up the majority of the government officials and state industry leaders. This is what the leadership calls a source for social cohesion, in contrast to the partisan divisions in the U.S.The party has also been heavily covering racial inequality in West Europe and other social issues in the state-controlled media, in addition to the anniversary celebrations. This seems to be a sign of confidence in the party's ability to deflect criticisms of China's arrest of over 1 million Uyghurs, and crackdown on freedom speech in Hong Kong.Xi stated that party members should drive China's great revival" in his speech. This refers to his plan for China to regain its historic role as a regional and global power in culture, economy, and military power.Keep moving forward towards the goals of the second millennium, Xi stated.
