Photo:VCG

A grand ceremony will be held to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC) where outstanding Party members will be awarded with "July 1 Medals" for the first time, Party officials announced on Tuesday.

The grand ceremony, held amid a severe and turbulent international situation, is widely believed to showcase the country and the Party’s confidence in its political system and path.

At a press conference held in Beijing on the preparations for the anniversary on Tuesday, Party officials unveiled key activities that will be held to mark the Party's 100th birthday. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will deliver a speech at the grand ceremony and award the "July 1 Medal" to Party members who made extraordinary contributions to the Party. Other outstanding Party members, Party affairs workers, community-level Party organizations and senior Party members who have been members for 50 years will also be awarded. 

Party history education will be conducted among its members. The CPC Central Committee will visit Party members who have made outstanding contributions or live in difficult conditions. Families of martyrs and the family members of Party officials who died in the line of duty will be visited. 

Large-scale exhibitions will be held to display the glorious course, great achievements and valuable experience of the CPC over the past 100 years. 

Graphics: GT

CPC-related works, publications will be released, seminars will be held, and commemorative stamps and coins will be issued. 

According to the conference, the ceremony will highlight a deep reflection of history, allowing CPC members and the public to understand why Chinese people and history chose the CPC, a socialist path and the reform and opening-up path. Dialogue and exchanges with political parties around the world will be conducted to exchange experience in governance. It will also focus on grass-roots Party activities and promote "red" tourism. 

The Chinese People's Liberation Army will also hold activities to mark the anniversary, which will focus on keeping the red line of the Party's absolute leadership over the army, stressing the PLA's centenary goal, and teaching the military to always be a heroic army that the Party and the people can trust. 

Specifically, Party education will be conducted to reinforce the PLA's absolute loyalty to the Party. Seminars on building a strong military will be held, and CPC members, organizations in the military as well the "most beautiful" soldiers will be awarded. There are no plans for a military parade but officers and soldiers will safeguard the country's peace and stability as usual, according to the Tuesday press conference.   

The PLA will establish and open to the public key military venues such as the naval museum and the PLA Hong Kong Garrison exhibition center. 

By December 2019, there were 4.681 million community-level Party organizations nationwide, with 91.914 million Party members.