Oil Painting: Iron Torrent in the Snowy Mountains, Shen Yaoyi

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Editor’s Note

On the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army’s Long March, President Xi Jinping addressed the commemoration gathering in Beijing. His speech highlighted that the great Long March Spirit -- built on firm ideals, fearless sacrifice, independent thinking and deep bond with the people -- is timeless spiritual treasure guiding China’s new Long March toward national rejuvenation.

This piece brings an outside-in perspective. The author links the Long March’s core lessons to today’s China: its strategic resolve amid external pressures, drive for technological self-reliance and pursuit of modernization. Beyond China’s domestic context, the Long March’s stories of courage, popular support and unwavering perseverance also offer meaningful food for thought for a world grappling with multiple 21st-century global challenges. This foreign viewpoint helps international audiences grasp how history shapes China’s choices in the new era.

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China held a gathering in Beijing on Thursday to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March.

President Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the gathering and delivered an important speech.

Over the past few decades, China has navigated through complex historical trials, economic transformations, and evolving geopolitical risks.

In recent years, amid rising protectionism, arbitrary trade barriers, and intense global geopolitical competition, China has repeatedly demonstrated a remarkable degree of strategic resolve and economic resilience. Far from being cowed under external pressures, the nation's readiness and capability to safeguard its core interests and maintain stability have reaffirmed its growing confidence on the global stage.

This steadfast response in the face of headwinds underscores a deep-seated institutional and cultural strength. Whether in addressing complex bilateral dynamics or supporting economic and technological self-reliance, China's ability to turn external challenges into opportunities for domestic modernization reflects a distinct historical logic.

It proves that no matter how severe the external storms may be, the nation possesses the internal cohesion and strategic vision needed to chart its own course.

Even 90 years after the Red Army completed its monumental journey, the indefatigable spirit of the Long March lives on, continuing to serve as an invaluable source of inspiration for China as it navigates the high seas of the 21st century.

This generation's Long March of national rejuvenation through modernization and innovation has led to China's success on the global stage.

This is evident in the upturn in China's relations with the US and the subsequent course correction by Washington on its tariffs and trade policy toward China.

The Red Army's saga of resistance, revival and rejuvenation continues to inspire remarkable achievements in the 21st century, especially in the fields of science and technology.

In his book The Long March: The Untold Story, US journalist Harrison Salisbury captured the essence of this unique feat in military history by writing that once awakened, the human spirit possesses limitless power. That limitless power was demonstrated when the Red Army embarked on what was termed by its enemies as a "retreat" but which the leadership of the Communist Party of China transformed into a revival that eventually laid the foundation for China's rejuvenation.

So, what makes the Long March unique, and what lessons does it offer to the world today?

It's an amazing human saga of survival, grit, determination and resilience in the face of impossible odds. During the Long March, the Red Army engaged in over 600 battles, crossed nearly 100 rivers and scaled more than 40 mountain ranges, including over 20 snow-capped peaks above 4,000 meters.

As the world grapples with 21st-century challenges — ranging from climate change and poverty alleviation to geopolitical tensions — today's leaders can draw three pertinent lessons from the epic journey.

First, the success of the Long March was undoubtedly driven by courageous leadership that inspired the Chinese people.

Second, the broad support from various sections of society, including youth, students, women, peasants, and workers, transformed the Long March into a people's movement. The remarkable camaraderie between soldiers and civilians and the people-centric approach of the CPC turned the Red Army's struggle into a national movement.

Third, clarity of goals, remaining unwaveringly loyal to the objective with patience, perseverance, and a "never give up" mindset were crucial. Despite the formidable odds, defeatism never took root in the hearts and minds of the Chinese people or the CPC leadership.

The basis of that victory was laid in the rigors and ravages of the monumental Long March that demonstrated how an "epic, human miracle" was made possible with limitless power of the human spirit.

It is the same spirit that inspires China to excel today, to achieve and overcome obstacles, whether in trade and technology, or in the "new long march" toward national rejuvenation in the 21st century.

Source: ‘The spirit of the Long March lives on’ published on October 23, 2026, China Daily.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of CIIDS.