Honoring Heroes: China's Martyrs' Day Commemorations

President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders paid tributes at Tiananmen Square on Martyrs' Day, ahead of China’s 75th National Day. They honored revolutionary heroes and awarded state honors. Xi stressed China's commitment to peace, development, and the continuation of its rapid growth and social stability.

President Xi Jinping and other Chinese state and party leaders paid floral tributes to fallen heroes on Monday to mark Martyrs' Day at Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.

Held ahead of the 75th National Day of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Tuesday, the commemoration saw leaders, including Premier Li Qiang, and representatives from various sectors honoring martyrs who struggled for the revolutionary cause leading to the formation of PRC on October 1, 1949, under the Communist Party of China (CPC) founder Mao Zedong.

President Xi, 71, also awarded the highest state honors to several Chinese veterans and presented China’s Friendship Medal to Dilma Rousseff, former Brazilian president. Xi highlighted Rousseff as an outstanding representative of China’s international friendships and reiterated China’s readiness to work with other nations to safeguard peace and promote development.

Xi emphasized the CPC’s role in achieving rapid economic growth and social stability, urging all party members and citizens to unite towards building a great modern socialist country.