A ceremony marking the 160th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen’s birth was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on November 12, 2026, according to a Xinhua report. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and China’s president, delivered a speech.
Xi called on Chinese people at home and abroad to carry forward Sun’s legacy. He described Sun as a pioneer of China’s democratic revolution and said the best way to commemorate him was to advance the country’s development and national rejuvenation.
In his speech, Xi linked Sun’s legacy to patriotism, public welfare, theoretical innovation, perseverance, national unity and China’s relationship with the wider world. On Taiwan, he reiterated the Communist Party’s position that achieving complete national reunification is a historic task and urged people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to oppose Taiwan independence.
Wang Huning chaired the ceremony. Other members of the Politburo Standing Committee—Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi—also attended. Xinhua reported that approximately 3,000 people took part, including officials, representatives of social groups, some foreign diplomats, Sun’s relatives and overseas guests. Before the ceremony, Xi met representatives of Sun’s relatives and overseas guests.