BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Party and state leaders will present flower baskets to fallen national heroes at Tian’anmen Square in central Beijing on Wednesday morning to mark the country’s Martyrs’ Day.
The leaders will be joined by representatives from all walks of life at the ceremony, which will be broadcast live by the China Media Group.
In 2014, China’s top legislature adopted the decision to establish Martyrs’ Day. Observed on Sept. 30, one day before National Day, the day commemorates those who gave their lives for national independence and prosperity.
Since the first Martyrs’ Day, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has maintained the tradition of paying homage to fallen heroes on the day.
This year marks the 77th founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and the 105th founding anniversary of the CPC.
It also marks the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, which lasted from 1934 to 1936. A themed exhibition is being held at the Military Museum of the Chinese People’s Revolution in Beijing to commemorate that epic military trek.
During the Long March, the CPC-led Red Army soldiers braved raging rivers, snow-covered mountains and treacherous grasslands, with some marching as far as 12,500 kilometers.
The arduous journey helped lay the foundation for the eventual victory of the Chinese revolution.
Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged efforts to advance the Peaceful China Initiative to a higher level to ensure steady and sustained progress in Chinese modernization.
Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in his recent instruction on the initiative.
In his instruction, Xi stated that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, significant progress has been made in building a safe China, making the country one of the safest in the world.
He emphasized efforts to resolutely pursue a holistic approach to national security and to uphold and strengthen the Party’s overall leadership in this area.
He also called for efforts to both pursue development and safeguard security, strengthen the legal underpinning, leverage science and technology, and prevent and mitigate all kinds of risks in relevant fields, so as to continuously make the country safer, society more orderly, governance more effective, and the people more satisfied.
Xi’s instruction was conveyed at a working conference on the initiative held Monday in Beijing.
Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, attended the conference and gave a speech.
He noted that the Peaceful China Initiative has produced results that have won worldwide recognition and safety has become a distinctive hallmark of China’s governance. Chen called for an approach that combines punishment and prevention to create synergy and urged greater efforts to advance the Peaceful China Initiative to a higher level.
Wang Xiaohong, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and minister of public security, pledged that the implementation will focus on key tasks, innovative methods and strengthened foundations at primary levels.
China is among the countries with the lowest rates of crime and homicide. A recently released Global Public Security Index Report (2025-2026) showed that the country topped the index with a score of 84.62 points.
The findings echo the international perception of China’s strong public safety record. More international travelers are experiencing that sense of security firsthand as visa-free access expands, travel services improve and urban support systems are strengthened.
At Monday’s conference, 60 cities and 160 counties were designated as models for advancing the Peaceful China Initiative and awarded honoring plaques. –The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
