By Danny Liu
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Abstract
On October 1st, 2024, during the reception ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), General Secretary Xi Jinping asserted that “no challenges can stop China’s progress,” and restated Beijing’s unwavering opposition to Taiwan separatism. Such rhetoric echoes similar proclamations emphasizing economic development made precisely five years earlier during the PRC’s 70th anniversary celebrations. This consistent political messaging is not new; it mirrors earlier instances such as the 2016 invocation of Mao Zedong’s poetic imagery where “a few flies dash themselves against the wall” to characterize Taiwan as helpless in opposition to a stronger power, the Chinese mainland. These parallels underscore the enduring relevance and selective invocation of Mao Zedong Thought in contemporary Chinese political discourse, particularly as a rhetorical device to reaffirm ideological legitimacy, project political continuity, and construct a usable past.
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