Xi Jinping: “Immeasurable Splendor, many Tribulations”

The following is an excerpt from Xi Jinping’s acceptance speech on March 13 after his “re-election” as State Chairman of the PRC.

It starts with some pseudo-history: Xi doesn’t explicitly place “semi-colonialism” and “semi-feudalism” into the same number of years or centuries, but whoever would like to take away the impression that everything that went wrong in China was the fault of foreign imperialists is free to do so.

^{Oh-so honored}

This has become part of building narratives in Chinese propaganda; Xi took a similar approach when “retelling” the history of the Korean War. in 2020. The guise of innocence in international relations isn’t as much about openly lying, but to leave any aspects out of the stories that might be inconvenient.

Main Link:

Speech at the first session of the 14th National People’s Congress (在第十四届全国人民代表大会第一次会议上的讲话)

Delegates!
各位代表：

This assembly has elected me Chairman of the PRC for another term. I would like to express my sincere thanks for the trust all delegates and all the country’s nationalities have placed in me!
这次大会选举我继续担任中华人民共和国主席，我对各位代表和全国各族人民的信任，表示衷心感谢！
This is my third term at the sublime position as State Chairman. The people’s trust is my main motivation for further progress, and also a heavy responsibility to sholder. I will faithfully fulfill my duties as assigned by the constitution, with the needs of the state as my mission, the people’s interests as the criteria, I will work with devotion, wholeheartedly and respectfully, and never betray the great trust of the delegates and all the country’s nationalities!
这是我第三次担任国家主席这一崇高职务。人民的信任，是我前进的最大动力，也是我肩上沉甸甸的责任。我将忠实履行宪法赋予的职责，以国家需要为使命，以人民利益为准绳，恪尽职守，竭诚奉献，绝不辜负各位代表和全国各族人民的重托！

Delegates!
各位代表！

In it’s 5,000 years of civilizational history, the Chinese nation has created immeasurable splendor, and also been through many tribulations. During modernity¹⁾, China, step by step, became a semicolonial and semifeudal society, suffering from the great powers’ bullying and humiliation, being partitioned, undergoing the chaos of war, and the bitterness of the people being in terrible situations. The Communist Party of China has, after its foundation, tightly united and led all nationalities and people of the country, gone through a century of struggle, wiped out the national humiliation, the Chinese people has become master of its own destiny, the Chinese people have welcomed the huge leap²⁾ from standing up to getting rich, from getting rich to becoming strong. The Chinese nation has taken an irreversible historical turn.
具有五千多年文明史的中华民族，在历史上创造了无数辉煌，也经历过许多磨难。近代以后，中国逐步成为半殖民地半封建社会，饱受列强欺凌、四分五裂、战乱频繁、生灵涂炭之苦。中国共产党成立之后，紧紧团结带领全国各族人民，经过百年奋斗，洗雪民族耻辱，中国人民成为自己命运的主人，中华民族迎来了从站起来、富起来到强起来的伟大飞跃，中华民族伟大复兴进入了不可逆转的历史进程。

From now on to this mid-century, comprehensively building a strong, modern socialist country and promoting the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the entire party’s, the entire country’s and the entire people’s central duty. The relay baton of building a strong country and of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people has been assigned to us by history. In accordance with the party’s 20th National Congress’s srategic arrangements, we will coordinate and promote the general concept of the “Integration of the Five Dimensions”, coordinate the concept of the “Four Comprehensives”, accelerate the construction of Chinese-style modernization, unite and struggle, pioneer and innovate, and make contributions on the new journey that live up to the era, to history, to the people’s achievements, so as to promote the construction of a strong country and to the national rejuvenation!
从现在起到本世纪中叶，全面建成社会主义现代化强国、全面推进中华民族伟大复兴，是全党全国人民的中心任务。强国建设、民族复兴的接力棒，历史地落在我们这一代人身上。我们要按照党的二十大的战略部署，坚持统筹推进“五位一体”总体布局、协调推进“四个全面”战略布局，加快推进中国式现代化建设，团结奋斗，开拓创新，在新征程上作出无负时代、无负历史、无负人民的业绩，为推进强国建设、民族复兴作出我们这一代人的应有贡献！

[…]

________________

Notes

1)	Seems this could be translated as after modernity, but that wouldn’t make sense to me because 近代 – among Chinese, and not among Americans or Taiwanese – usually refers to the times from around 1912 and 1949. Among the latter, it would be from the late Ming dynasty to 1912.
2)	not to be confused with the “great leap forward” (see “Gasps of Admiration”, Xi’s “Resisting U.S., aiding Korea” commemorative speech, 2020)

“Korean People’s Army’s” 90th-anniversary: Ever-victorious Feats

The following is a lineup of the Chinese and English translations of Kim Jong-un’s speech on Kim Il-sung Square on April 25, provided by “Voice of Korea”, North Korea’s foreign radio station. Either translation will give you the gist of the other, but the wording is often somewhat different. A simultaneous translation given by Phoenix TV‘s edtitor who covered North Korean television’s live transmission is again, in terms of wording, somewhat different from the Chinese version given by “Voice of Korea”.
Kim made his speech at a nightly parade, celebrating the 90th anniversary of the North Korean army.

North Korean TV / Phoenix coverage, April 25, 2022

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Main link: 敬爱的金正恩同志在庆祝朝鲜人民革命军建立90周年阅兵式上的讲话	Main link: Speech made by President of State Affairs Kim Jong Un at military parade for celebrating 90th anniversary of KPRA
英勇的朝鲜民主主义人民共和国武装力量全体官兵： 阅兵部队指挥员和战士们： 应邀出席庆祝典礼的参战老兵同志们、模范军人和立功者同志们： 尊敬的平壤市各位市民： 亲爱的同志们：	All the brave officers and men of the armed forces of our Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Officers and men of the units participating in the military parade, Comrade war veterans, exemplary soldiers and merited persons invited to this square of celebration, Esteemed Pyongyang citizens, Dear comrades,
今天我们举行盛大的阅兵式，庆祝我们伟大的党、国家和人民的意义深远而光荣的纪念日。 此时此刻，长久建军史的荣耀光彩夺目，我们大家都为可靠地保卫党和革命、祖国和人民、和平与稳定的自己的武装力量感到无比自豪。 全国人民看着高举胜利的军旗来到金日成广场的可靠的劲旅，可以估计共和国武装力量的现代化程度，并再一次感受到90年前朝鲜真正的第一支武装力量诞生是在我国革命和民族的历史上以及我们国家和人民未来的发展中具有多么深远而伟大的意义。	Today we are holding a grand military parade in celebration of an anniversary, significant and glorious for our great Party, state and people. At this moment overflowing with the glory of the long history of our army building, we are all here filled with a great pride in having the armed forces that firmly defend the Party, the revolution, the country and the people and reliably guarantee peace and stability. Seeing the dependable elite units massed in this Kim Il Sung Square with their victorious colours and feeling, through them, the level of the modern character of the armed forces of our Republic, all the people across the country will realize once again the profound and great significance the birth of their country’s first genuine armed forces 90 years ago had in the history of our revolution and nation and will have in the future development of our state and people.
朝鲜人民革命军的建立，是在民族解放、自力独立的旗帜下宣布反帝决死抗战的全民族性壮举，同时，是依靠强有力的革命武装力量开创主体革命新时代的历史性事件。	The founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army was an event of national significance that declared a death-defying resistance against imperialism under the unfurled banner of winning national liberation and independence by our own efforts, as well as a historic event that ushered in a new era of the Juche revolution that relies on powerful revolutionary armed forces.
这一事件的重大意义不仅仅在于历史风云中遭受侵凌的人民拥有了自己的民族军队，开始有了中兴的希望，更是在于向国内外宣布了朝鲜革命者誓与侵犯我们民族尊严与主权的敌人抗战到底的坚定的反帝革命思想、依靠主体力量一定实现人民的自由与解放以及革命胜利的不屈不挠的意志。	The major meaning of this event is not confined only to the fact that our people, who were forced to live a pitiable life in the turmoil of history, could have their own national army and the hope of their revival; it also lies in the fact that the event declared at home and abroad the steadfast idea of anti-imperialist revolution of the Korean revolutionaries to settle accounts to the end and by force of arms with those who infringed upon the dignity and sovereignty of our nation and their unyielding will to win the people’s freedom and liberation and the revolution’s victory without fail by the internal forces.
历史如实地证明了朝鲜革命者为开拓我国人民的命运与未来而做出的这一抉择和他们的意志是非常正确的。	History has clearly proved that this determination and will the Korean revolutionaries opted for to carve out the destiny and future of their people was absolutely correct.
朝鲜人民的优秀儿女在白头山密林里举起革命武器，那是朝鲜民族独立精神和希望的表现，是伟大团结的旗帜，也是给沾满泪痕的朝鲜人的拳头增添自尊气概与坚强力量的原动力。	The revolutionary weapons the fine sons and daughters of our people held aloft in the forests of Paektu were an expression of the soaring spirit of independence of the Korean nation, their hope and the great banner of their unity, as well as the force that loaded the mettle of self-dependence and Herculean strength in the tear-stained fists of the Korean people.
就在这支武装队伍里酝酿成熟了朝鲜革命的远大构想，造就了战胜帝国主义暴力的不折不挠精神与钢铁力量，奠定了在我国革命发展中具有根本意义和长远意义的伟大传统。	Thanks to these armed ranks, a far-reaching plan of the Korean revolution was matured, the unyielding spirit and formidable strength with which to prevail over the imperialist tyranny were nurtured, and the great traditions, basic and everlasting in the development of our revolution, were created.
从建军初期就具有并传承至今的那一思想、信念与传统成为了我们的革命武装力量的精神力之根底、百战百胜的保证。我们的革命武装力量站在空前激烈的反帝对抗战与阶级斗争的前线，在发生变化的历史环境中牢记自己固有的革命性、阶级性与使命，为保卫党和革命、捍卫领土与人民而发扬不朽的英勇精神和牺牲精神。	The ideology, faith and traditions, which our revolutionary army cherished and succeeded from the outset of its founding, constituted the basis of the spiritual strength and ever-victorious guarantee that made it possible to display an undying heroic and self-sacrificing spirit in defending the Party, the revolution, the territory and the people in the fiercest-ever anti-imperialist confrontation, in the first line of grim class struggle and in the ever-changing circumstances of history, mindful of its intrinsic revolutionary and class nature and mission.
我们的军队开展艰苦卓绝的浴血斗争，完成了祖国解放、民族复兴的伟大事业；发扬大无畏的英勇精神，击退以美国为首的帝国主义联合势力武装侵略，光荣地捍卫了祖国的主权、尊严与安宁；在社会主义革命和建设的整个历史期间，以高洁的牺牲精神保卫自己的执政党、政权、领土与人民，建树百战百胜的伟绩。我们党和我国人民为拥有如此英勇、刚强而忠心耿耿的军队感到无上光荣和骄傲。	This army achieved the great cause of the country’s liberation and nation’s revival through an unprecedented bloody struggle, repulsed the armed aggression by the US-led allied imperialist forces and defended with honour the sovereignty, dignity and safety of the country with an unrivalled heroic spirit; it has recorded ever-victorious feats while defending the ruling Party, the government, the territory and the people throughout the historical course of the socialist revolution and construction with an ennobling self-sacrificing spirit. Our Party and people regard it as a source of their greatest honour and pride to have such a brave, steely and loyal army.
我们决不能忘记我们疆土上的所有胜利果实、所有成就里都凝聚着我们革命军队所立下的首功。	All our priceless gains, plus everything else on this land, are associated, first of all, with the services of our revolutionary army. This we should keep in mind.
我们的革命军队不仅作为国防主体，而且作为国家发展的强大力量，始终遵照党的构想，为实现远大理想投入宏伟的革命事业，忘我奋斗，从而开创社会主义建设的新历史，发扬光大伟大的我们 国家的尊严与荣誉，建树了无与伦比的伟大功勋。	Not only as the main force for national defence but also as a powerful force for national development, our revolutionary army, true to the Party’s intentions, has always made devoted efforts to carry out the ambitious revolutionary undertakings aimed at attaining lofty ideals. By doing so, it has performed such great exploits, which no others could do, in creating a new history of socialist construction and enhancing the dignity and honour of our great state.
过去90年来，我们的革命武装力量把忠于自己的党、政权和人民的精神视为第一生命、最高荣誉，誓死保卫朝鲜革命的血统，坚决拥护朝鲜劳动党的思想和伟业，可靠保证我们国家的存立、发展以及人民的幸福。	Regarding it as its lifeblood and top honour to be faithful to the Party, the government and the people, our revolutionary army has kept the lineage of the Korean revolution safe and sound and defended the ideology and cause of the Workers’ Party of Korea resolutely, and reliably guaranteed the existence and development of our state and the welfare of our people.
由于有了这一不可磨灭的丰功伟绩，长达一个世纪的朝鲜革命历史以胜利和光荣发光生辉。	Thanks to these exploits of lasting value it has performed over the past 90 years, the annals of the Korean revolution spanning a century are resplendent with victory and glory.
我们永远都不会忘记：在艰苦卓绝的各个革命年代，伟大的武装力量始终站在前头开辟了进军道路；我们共和国光荣而豪迈的胜利历史是以革命军队高洁的血汗和牺牲为代价谱写的。	We will remember for all ages that our great armed forces have always opened up the way for advance in the vanguard at each of the difficult revolutionary stages and that the glorious and worthwhile victories of our Republic have been won at the cost of the priceless blood and sweat our revolutionary army shed and the noble self-sacrifice it made.
现在要在这一胜利的阅兵式广场上阔步前进的共和国武装力量的精锐部队官兵们，还有此时此刻也在祖国的陆海空哨所以及社会主义建设各大战区建立殊勋的所有官兵都是我国武装力量光荣历史的当之无愧、引以自豪的继承者和体现者。	The glorious history of our armed forces is embodied in the proud and honourable successors, that is, the officers and men from the elite units of the Republic’s armed forces, who will march in fine array across this square of victors, and all other soldiers standing guard at the air, ground and naval posts and performing feats of labour at sites of grand socialist construction throughout the country.
借此意义深远的机会，我代表我们党和政府向为了祖国的自主独立和人民解放，为了革命武装力量的加强和发展，为了社会主义事业的胜利前进付出宝贵生命的抗日革命先烈和人民军烈士致以崇高敬意，并且向接好革命先烈的班，走着伟大继承之路的朝鲜人民军和共和国武装力量的全体官兵表示热烈祝贺。	Availing myself of this meaningful opportunity, I, on behalf of our Party and government, would like to pay noble tribute to the anti-Japanese revolutionary forerunners and martyrs of the People’s Army, who dedicated their precious lives in the struggle for national sovereignty and independence and the people’s liberation, for the build-up of the revolutionary armed forces and for the victorious advance of the socialist cause. I also offer hearty congratulations to all the officers and men of the Korean People’s Army and all other members of the armed forces of our Republic, who are making a great journey of faithful succession to their revolutionary forerunners.
与此同时，我还要向把心爱的丈夫和儿女送到卫国前线的所有家庭表示由衷的感谢。	In addition, I would like to offer heartfelt thanks to all the families on this land, which have had their dear husbands and children stand at the forefront of national defence.
同志们： 革命武装力量90年来用武装捍卫了祖国的繁荣富强。这一光荣行程要延续一百年、一千年。	Comrades, The glorious 90-year journey our revolutionary armed forces have made safeguarding the prosperity and development of the country by force of arms, should be continued for another hundred, nay a thousand years.
在接下来的年代里，我们要继续彰显强军的盛誉，以跟过去90年无法比拟的飞快速度变得更强大。	In the era we are living in now, we should continue to exalt the glory of the powerful army and change to be more powerful at a fast speed incomparable with the past 90 years.
在实力对抗激烈的当今世界，国家的尊严和权力以及可靠而真正的和平是由胜过任何敌人的强有力的自卫力量提供保证的。	In the present world where different forces collide fiercely with one another, a nation’s dignity and sovereignty and reliable genuine peace are guaranteed by powerful defence capability that can overpower any enemy.
我们要不断地强起来。	We should continuously grow stronger.
培养保卫自己的力量，不能有满足和终止。不管跟谁对抗，我们必须确保军事强势。	There is no satisfaction or accomplishment in cultivating strength for defending ourselves, and, whoever we confront, our military supremacy should be more secure.
这是革命的要求，子孙万代的未来也取决于此。	The revolution demands this, and the future of all the generations to come depends upon this.
我们的革命武装力量建设总路线是把人民军造就成为百战百胜的军队。	Our general line of building the revolutionary armed forces is to make the People’s Army an ever-victorious army.
百战百胜的军队，这应该是我们人民军永恒的名称和我国革命武装力量的宝贵声誉。	An ever-victorious army-this must be the eternal name of our People’s Army and shine as a priceless honour belonging only to our revolutionary armed forces.
人民军要狠抓我们党的军队建设方向和总路线，大力开创革命武装力量发展的新阶段。	The People’s Army should hold fast to our Party’s orientation and general line of army building and dynamically open up a new phase of its development.
为此，要把实现政治思想强军化和军事技术强军化定为核心目标，着力加强我国武装力量，使之成为绝对拥护朝鲜劳动党的领导并无限忠于自己革命事业的思想与信念的强军、具有立即应对任何战争和危机的勇气和能力以及自信的最精锐强军。	To do so, it should define it as the core target to strengthen itself politically and ideologically and make itself strong in military technology, and give a stronger impetus to consolidating itself into an army, strong in ideology and faith, which is absolutely loyal to the leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea and boundlessly faithful to its revolutionary cause and into an elite force possessed of courage, capability and self-confidence for responding to any type of war and crisis without any hesitation.
政治思想强军化是我们军队建设的核心，是第一大战略任务。	Strengthening it politically and ideologically is the main aspect and first strategic task of our building of the army.
我们的革命军队要作为党和人民的军队、阶级的军队完成好自己的使命，并且要灵活地应对任何形式的战争和危机。在这一方面重要的是军队做好政治思想准备，武装力量的主体——军人群众做好思想精神准备。	The political and ideological preparedness of the army and the ideological and spiritual preparedness of the masses of the soldiers, the motive force of the armed forces, are basic in the effort to make our revolutionary army fulfil its mission as the army of the Party, people and class and actively respond to any type of war and crisis.
我们今后要在军队里进一步培养坚定的革命精神和阶级意识，这在加强我国军队的战斗力和国防力量方面起到决定性作用。	The staunch revolutionary spirit and class awareness of the army we have to further cultivate in the future will play a decisive role in building up the fighting efficiency of our army and defence capabilities of the nation.
革命者一代一代地接替，我们要与日益凶残的帝国主义进行长期的对抗。我国革命的这一特殊性要求我们坚定不移地承接源于白头山的伟大的革命思想和精神的接力棒，以此作为军队建设和反帝斗争中迫切的战略任务。只有把它当作军队建设的核心来狠抓，我国革命武装力量才能坚定地保持和加强质量上的优势。	The unique character of our revolution is that one generation of the revolution is continually replaced by another and we have to face for a long period of time the imperialists who grow ever more ferocious with each passing day. This presents it as a crucial strategic task of army building and anti-imperialist struggle to stoutly carry on the baton of the great revolutionary ideology and spirit which originated in Paektu. When we carry out this task as the core in army building, we will surely be able to maintain and consolidate the qualitative supremacy of our revolutionary armed forces.
人民军的所有党组织和政治机关要继续燃起思想革命烈火，竭尽全力培养军人的革命思想和精神力量。	All the Party organizations and political bodies of the People’s Army should continue to stoke up the flames of the ideological revolution and focus their all-out effort on cultivating the revolutionary ideology and spiritual strength of the soldier masses.
要把建设思想与信念的强军作为最首要的任务，培养所有官兵成为思想的近卫兵，让他们按照党中央的革命思想和意志去战斗，彻底体现阶级觉悟和不屈不挠的战斗精神，丝毫不差地百发百中党中央所指定的靶心。	Regarding it as our top-priority task to develop the People’s Army into an army strong in ideology and faith, we should prepare all the service personnel to be ideological guardsmen who fight only in line with the revolutionary ideology and will of the Party Central Committee, who cherish staunch class awareness and indomitable fighting spirit as part of their mental qualities, and who never allow a single misfire or an inch of deviation from the centre of the target designated by the Party Central Committee.
其次，要大力推进军事技术强军化，以大大提高人民军的战斗力。	We should also strongly push ahead with building it up into an army strong in military technology with a view to radically improving its fighting efficiency.
世界军事力量的发展趋势和急速变化的现代战争模式要求我们军队加快军事技术现代化进程。	The global trend of military development and rapidly-changing style of warfare at present demand that we modernize our army at a faster rate in terms of military technology.
要高举军队现代化的标语，全力以赴地把人民军加强和发展成为具有高新军事技术的强军。	Holding aloft the slogan of modernizing the army, we should strive to the utmost to develop our People’s Army into a powerful army equipped with highly advanced military technology.
要推动军事人才培养体系的现代化，大量培养出机智灵活地指挥各军种、兵种部队的全能指挥员；提高作战战斗训练的现代化水平，以使全军的所有部队和区分队圆满完成任何战斗任务。	By pressing ahead with the modernization of the military talents training system, we should bring up a larger number of officers who are fully capable of commanding units of different arms and services at all levels. And we should make all the units and sub-units of the army fully ready to carry out any combat missions by modernizing their operation and combat training.
国防科学部门和军事工业部门要继续研发和实战部署新一代尖端武器装备，以不断提高人民军的军事震慑力。	The sectors of defence science and munitions industry should continue to develop and deploy for actual combat cutting-edge military hardware of new generations so as to ceaselessly increase the military power of the People’s Army.
尤其是，从质量和数量上加强我们国力的象征、我国军事力量的核心——核武力，以便在任何战争状况下根据各种作战目的和任务以各种手段发挥核战斗能力。	In particular, the nuclear forces, the symbol of our national strength and the core of our military power, should be strengthened in terms of both quality and scale, so that they can perform nuclear combat capabilities in any situations of warfare, according to purposes and missions of different operations and by various means.
当前局势催促我们为持久确保共和国武装力量的现代性和军事技术强势采取更为积极的措施。	The prevailing situation demands that more proactive measures be taken to provide a firm and sustained guarantee for the modern character and military technological supremacy of our Republic’s armed forces.
为应对剧变的政治军事形势和将会面临的各种危机，我们坚持不懈地建设自卫性的、现代化的武装力量。我们要更快、更坚定地走这一条路，尤其是继续采取以最快的速度增强和发展我国核武力的措施。	To cope with the rapidly-changing political and military situations and all the possible crises of the future, we will advance faster and more dynamically along the road of building up the self-defensive and modern armed forces, which we have followed unwaveringly, and, especially, will continue to take measures for further developing the nuclear forces of our state at the fastest possible speed.
我国核武力的基本使命是遏制战争，但如果在我们国土上发生我们不愿意看到的情况，那么，我国核力量的使命不能仅仅局限于防止战争。	The fundamental mission of our nuclear forces is to deter a war, but our nukes can never be confined to the single mission of war deterrent even at a time when a situation we are not desirous of at all is created on this land.
万一任何势力侵犯我们国家的根本利益，那么，我们的核武力不得不义无反顾地履行自己的第二个使命。	If any forces try to violate the fundamental interests of our state, our nuclear forces will have to decisively accomplish its unexpected second mission.
共和国核武力要时刻做好一切准备，以随时完成自己责任重大的使命，动用特有的遏制力。	The nuclear forces of our Republic should be fully prepared to fulfil their responsible mission and put their unique deterrent in motion at any time.
同志们，人民军官兵们： 现在，我们的武装力量做好了一切准备，能应付任何战争。	Comrades, officers and men of the People’s Army, Our armed forces are now fully prepared for any type of war.
以英勇的朝鲜人民军为核心的朝鲜民主主义人民共和国全体武装力量要始终坚定自己事业必胜的信念，信心百倍地面对一切挑战、迎头痛击；要忠实履行捍卫人民的安宁、尊严与幸福的神圣使命，保持天下无敌的军事强势，可靠地保证我国社会主义发展。	All the armed forces of the DPRK, with the heroic Korean People’s Army as their core, should always firmly believe in their cause, march forward valiantly against all challenges filled with confidence, remain faithful to their sacred mission of defending the safety, dignity and happiness of the people, and securely guarantee the development of our socialism by maintaining their invincible military supremacy.
共和国武装力量的全体官兵： 只要你们心中沸腾着革命先烈的鲜血和高贵精神，革命武装力量作为朝鲜劳动党的思想、意志和我们国家与人民的力量的体现者始终站在革命斗争的前方，我们朝鲜式社会主义事业就永远战无不胜。	All the officers and men of the armed forces of the Republic, As long as your hearts are pulsating with the precious blood and noble spirit of the revolutionary forerunners and as long as the revolutionary armed forces are always standing at the vanguard of the revolution as the embodiment of the ideology and will of the Workers’ Party of Korea and of the strength of our state and people, the cause of socialism of our own style will be ever-victorious in the future, too.
朝鲜人民军和全体共和国武装力量的指挥员和战士们： 让我们为了伟大的我国人民的安宁和幸福，为了伟大的我们国家的无限光荣和胜利，奋勇前进吧。 伟大的我国革命武装力量万岁！ 伟大的我们祖国朝鲜民主主义人民共和国万岁！	Commanding officers and men of the KPA and all other armed forces of the DPRK, For the safety and happiness of our great people, For the eternal glory and victory of our great state, Let us fight vigorously. Long live our great revolutionary armed forces! Long live our great country, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea!

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Related

Xi Jinping’s “Resisting U.S., aiding Korea” speech (1)	Nov 2, 2020
Xi Jinping: “A mighty and majestic War” (2)	Nov 4, 2020
Xi Jinping: “Pave a bloody road”	Dec 14, 2020
Xi Jinping: “Gasps of admiration”	Dec 26, 2020

Xi Jinping’s Heroes (2): Martyrs, Wave upon Wave

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The following is my second instalment of an article gathering notable Xi quotes concerning heroes; part one is there. No excerpts in this second part; every Xi word within the following paragraphs has been faithfully translated. All errors are my own; corrections or suggestions are welcome.

For the particularly pious, there’s “A Daily Word from Xi”,
a regular morning meditation on
China People’s Broadcasting Station (CPBS)

Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Main Link: “The Secretary General has talked about Heroes like these”, by Wen Hongyan and Song Jingsi, published on Sept 29

For the beloved motherland of their ideals, countless revolutionary martyrs held high the torch of faith, with an honor that doesn’t look back, they entered the powerful historical torrent of the people’s independence and the people’s liberation. Facing danger without fear and advancing dauntlessly in wave upon wave, they fought a brave, blood-soaked fight despite all setbacks.

为了理想中“可爱的中国”，无数革命先烈高擎信仰的火炬，义无反顾地踏入为了民族独立、人民解放的历史洪流中。他们临危不惧、前赴后继，他们浴血奋战、百折不挠。

On July 24, 2020, secretary general Xi Jinping, ending inspection work in Jilin province, pointed out:

2020年7月24日，习近平总书记在吉林考察工作结束时的重要讲话中指出：

“During the war of resistance against Japan, under extremely vile conditions, General Yang Jingyu led armed forces braved temperatures of minus 40 degrees fighting blood-soaked battles with enemies several times stronger in numbers while having nothing but dry grass, tree bark and cotton wadding in their stomachs. Their achievements were shaking popular feelings.”

“抗日战争时期，在极其恶劣的条件下，杨靖宇将军领导抗日武装冒着零下四十摄氏度的严寒，同数倍于己的敌人浴血奋战，牺牲时胃里全是枯草、树皮、棉絮，没有一粒粮食，其事迹震撼人心。”

On September 18, 1931, Japanese imperialism manufactured the Mukden Incident and began the large-scale invasion and occupation of northeastern China. In 1932, Yang Jingyu was commissioned by the party central committee to organize the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, and led the Northeast military-civilians in a bloody battle at the White Mountain and Black Water . Facing the Japanese army’s frantic pressure, Yang Jingyu was brimming with fighting spirit: “A Revolution is like fire. The snow may be sealing the mountains and hiding the birds’ and animals’ traces, but as long as we carry the spark, we can chase away the bitter winter and bring light and warmth.”

1931年9月18日，日本帝国主义制造九一八事变，开始大举侵占中国东北。1932年，杨靖宇受党中央委托到东北组织抗日联军，率领东北军民与日寇血战于白山黑水之间。面对日军疯狂镇压，杨靖宇充满斗志：“革命就像火一样，任凭大雪封山，鸟兽藏迹，只要我们有火种，就能驱赶严寒，带来光明和温暖。”

In February 1940, Yang Jingyu, in a world of ice and snow and out of ammunition and food, fought a lone fight against a great number of Japanese invaders, and heroically sacrificed his life after fighting for five days and nights, in Mengjiang County (now Jingyu County in Jilin Province).

1940年2月，杨靖宇在冰天雪地、弹尽粮绝的情况下，孤身一人与大量日寇周旋，战斗五昼夜后，在濛江县（今吉林省靖宇县）壮烈牺牲。

In times of difficulty, circumstances create heroes. In this great struggle in the war of resistance against Japan, the sons and daughters of China independently and freely casted their lives, sprinkled warm blood, mothers sent their sons to fight the Japanese invaders, wives sent their young husbands to the battleground, men and women, old and young equally mobilized.

天下艰难际，时势造英雄。在抗日战争这场救亡图存的伟大斗争中，中华儿女为中华民族独立和自由不惜抛头颅、洒热血，母亲送儿打日寇，妻子送郎上战场，男女老少齐动员。

It was Jiawu 2014. In a commemorative ceremony for the whole nation’s war of resistance that had started 77 years earlier, Secretary Xi Jinping, with deep emotion, told a heroic story: a mother from Miyun County in Beijing named Deng Yufen sent her husband and five children to the front, and they all died in battle.

2014年，岁逢甲午。在纪念全民族抗战爆发七十七周年仪式上，习近平总书记深情讲述了一位英雄母亲的抗战故事：“北京密云县一位名叫邓玉芬的母亲，把丈夫和5个孩子送上前线，他们全部战死沙场。”

Deng Yufen clenched her teeth and stood firm under these blows, smiling less than before but becoming more active in the anti-japanese war and closer to the younger generations of soldiers.

面对沉重的打击，邓玉芬硬是咬牙挺住了。她脸上的笑容少了，但对抗日工作更积极了，对子弟兵更亲了。

In August 1945, the Chinese people finally defeated the Japanese aggressor. Deng Yufen had tears in her eyes, comforting her husband and her sons under the nine springs: we are victorious! Before her death in February 1970, Deng Yufen told her fellow villagers, “bury me next to the roadside, I want to see the children return”.

1945年8月，中国人民终于打败日本侵略者，邓玉芬眼噙泪花，告慰九泉之下的丈夫和儿子们：咱们胜利了！1970年2月临终前，邓玉芬对乡亲们说：“把我埋在大路边，我要看着孩子们回来。”

In the extraordinarily difficult years of the anti-Japanese war, the Chinese people fought against powerful enemies, built a great wall out of blood and flesh, with always another one stepping into the breach to replace the fallen, and wrote a majestic epos, for a shaken world to read and to make even supernatural beings cry²⁾, thus winning the fist war by Chinese against foreign aggressors in modern times³⁾.

在艰苦卓绝的抗日战争中，中国人民以铮铮铁骨战强敌、以血肉之躯筑长城、以前仆后继赴国难，谱写了惊天地、泣鬼神的雄壮史诗，赢得了近代以来中国抗击外敌入侵的第一次完全胜利。

Secretary-general Xi Jinping pointed out on a symposium commemorating the 69th anniversary of the Chinese people’s anti-Japanese war of resistance’s victory and the world’s war against fascism’s victory: “High-ranking officers like Yang Jingyu, Zhao Shangzhi, Zuo Quan, Peng Xuefeng, Tong Linge, Zhao Dengyu, Zhang Zizhong, Dai Anlan and others from numerous heroic entities such as the Eight-Route Army’s ‘Five Heroes on Langya Mountain’, the New Fourth Army’s ‘Liulaozhuang company’, the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s eight female warriors, the KMT Army’s ‘eight heroes’, are outstanding representatives of the Chinese people undefiant,self-sacrificing stance.”

习近平总书记在纪念中国人民抗日战争暨世界反法西斯战争胜利69周年座谈会上指出：“杨靖宇、赵尚志、左权、彭雪枫、佟麟阁、赵登禹、张自忠、戴安澜等一批抗日将领，八路军‘狼牙山五壮士’、新四军‘刘老庄连’、东北抗联八位女战士、国民党军‘八百壮士’等众多英雄群体，就是中国人民不畏强暴、以身殉国的杰出代表。”

While fighting the liberation war, the Communist Party of China relied closely on the masses, obtained a power that toppled the mountains and overturned the seas, and ended the KMT’s reactionary rule, establishing a brandnew People’s Republic.

解放战争中，中国共产党紧紧依靠人民群众，获得了排山倒海的力量，结束了国民党的反动统治，建立了崭新的人民共和国。

“With no care for their heads, their warm blood irrigated the country.” To win national independence and the people’s liberation, countless revolutionary martyrs marched forward bravely, building the great wall of steel that rescued the nation in peril and defended the nation’s dignity. According to incomplete statistics, there were 3.7 million martyrs among revolutionary the troops led by the party from 1921 until 1949.

“未惜头颅新故国，甘将热血沃中华。”为争取民族独立和人民解放，无数革命先烈勇往直前以赴之，筑起拯救民族危亡、捍卫民族尊严的钢铁长城。据不完全统计，从1921年到1949年，党领导的革命队伍中，有名可查的烈士就达370多万人。

Secretary-general Xi Jinping emphasized: “The republic is red, and can’t weaken this color.⁴⁾ The blood of countless martyrs gave our flag its color. There is no way that we would not build the republic well that they hoped, fought and sacrificed for.”
“We absolutely must engrave the martyrs’ final wishes and never forget the great ideals they sacrificed their blood for.”

习近平总书记强调：“共和国是红色的，不能淡化这个颜色。无数的先烈鲜血染红了我们的旗帜，我们不建设好他们所盼望向往、为之奋斗、为之牺牲的共和国，是绝对不行的。”“我们一定要铭记烈士们的遗愿，永志不忘他们为之流血牺牲的伟大理想。”

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Notes

¹⁾ White Mountain + Heilongjiang = Dongbei
²⁾ Xi Jinping appears to have a particularly strong liking for warm blood “irrigating” the motherland, but also for borrowing from the world on the other side of the cupboard: supernatural beings have played a role in his commemorative speech about the Korean war, too, and – if a verbatim quote of what Xi said back then – in his September 2015 speech.
³⁾ Among Chinese – not among Americans or Taiwanese – “近代” usually seems to refer to the times from around 1912 to 1949. The term is discussed by a Wikipedia article, too.
⁴⁾ xCompare commemorative speech about the Korean war in October with the same phrase: 共和国是红色的，不能淡化这个颜色. Another translation for “weaken” could be “dilute” or “trivialize” its color.
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Xi Jinping’s Heroes (1): the Blood of countless Martyrs

Every once in a while, a topic or text looks too big (or too much of a tasteless nuisance) to me to be processed in a blog, although I still want to translate it. When it’s too much in one go, I might opt for a serial.

Update, Dec 12, 2020: Part 2 is there.

This blog is meant to be more than just a public waste book, but it certainly fulfills a waste book’s tasks, too, and helps to tidy up my mind.

The following are excerpts from an article published by “People’s Daily” (the CPC’s central party organ), and republished, probably among many others, by “The Paper” (澎湃新闻), Shanghai.

Note the frequent references to movies – Xi Jinping (or his advisors, or both) appear to have been impressed by Ronald Reagan’s use of cinema, or cinema-worty, propaganda during the 1980s.¹⁾

Main Link: “The Secretary General has talked about Heroes like these”, by Wen Hongyan and Song Jingsi, published on Sept 29
Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Jiangxi inspection tour 2019, background left:
Red Army Long March Starting Point Monument,
Yudu County

“A nation with hope cannot be without heroes, a country cannot be without pioneers.”
“一个有希望的民族不能没有英雄，一个有前途的国家不能没有先锋。”

Ever since the 18th National Congress, Secretary General Xi Jinping has attached great importance to praising heroic models, carrying forward the heroic spirit, looking for heroes, commemorated the heroes’ footprints north and south of the Yangtse River, told moving stories about heroes on many occasions, expressed his veneration for heroes, called on the whole party and the whole country to hold the heroes in high esteem, to defend them, to learn about them, and to show concern and care for them. The Secretary General emphasized: only high esteem for heroes can bring about heroes, and only the strife to become heroes can make heroes come forth in large numbers.
党的十八大以来，习近平总书记高度重视褒奖英雄模范、弘扬英雄精神，踏寻英雄、缅怀英烈的足迹遍布大江南北，在多个场合讲述英雄感人故事，表达对英雄的崇敬之情，号召全党全国崇尚英雄、捍卫英雄、学习英雄、关爱英雄。总书记强调：“崇尚英雄才会产生英雄，争做英雄才能英雄辈出。”

[…..]

Never to be forgotten
永志不忘——

“The republic is red, and can’t weaken this color. The blood of countless martyrs gave our flag its color. There is no way that we would not build the republic well that they hoped, fought and sacrificed for.”
“共和国是红色的，不能淡化这个颜色。无数的先烈鲜血染红了我们的旗帜，我们不建设好他们所盼望向往、为之奋斗、为之牺牲的共和国，是绝对不行的。”

On the median of Tian An Men Square, the Monument to the People’s Heroes stands tall and towering.
On November 29, 2012, not long after the party’s 18th national congress, Secretary General Xi Jinping entered the National Museum east of the Monument to the People’s Heroes, visiting the “Road to National Rejuvenation” exhibit. The Secretary General pointed out: “During modernity²⁾, the scale to which the Chinese nation has suffered and made sacrifices is something rarely seen in the history of the world.
天安门广场的南北中轴线上，人民英雄纪念碑巍然耸立。
2012年11月29日，党的十八大闭幕不久，习近平总书记走进人民英雄纪念碑东侧的国家博物馆，参观《复兴之路》展览。总书记指出：“近代以后，中华民族遭受的苦难之重、付出的牺牲之大，在世界历史上都是罕见的。”

The October revolution’s momentous events gave China Marxism-Leninism. Marxism-Leninism’s dissemination in China advanced the great awakening of the Chinese people, drove the birth of the Communist Party of China, and ignited the light of the Chinese nation’s rejuvenation.
十月革命一声炮响，给中国送来了马克思列宁主义。马克思列宁主义在中国的传播，促进了中国人民的伟大觉醒，催生了中国共产党，点亮了中华民族的复兴之光。

“China surely has an admirably bright future.” During that grim era, Fang Zhimin and countless other people all had lofty ideals, with their hearts full of hope and expectations.
“中国一定有个可赞美的光明前途。”在那个风雨如晦的年代，方志敏等无数仁人志士都如此满心期待、满怀憧憬。

[…..]

On May 22, 2019, Secretary General Xi Jinping, while ending an inspection tour in Jiangxi, pointed out: “‘The enemy can only chop off our heads, but he can’t shake our faith’ – this was Comrade Fang Zhimin’s resounding promise before sacrificing his life.”
2019年5月22日，习近平总书记在江西考察工作结束时的重要讲话中指出：“‘敌人只能砍下我们的头颅，决不能动摇我们的信仰’，这是方志敏同志牺牲前留下的铮铮誓言。”

“The light of ideals can’t be extinguished, and the light of faith can’t be extinguished.” Secretary General Xi Jinping told many moving stories about the revolutionary martyrs’ selfless pursuit of the light of ideals, and how they gave their lives to protect the revolutionary faith.
“理想之光不灭，信念之光不灭。”习近平总书记曾在不同场合讲述许多革命先烈忘我追寻理想之光、舍身保护信仰火种的感人故事。

“Before martyr Liu Renkan was killed for the righteous cause, the enemy mercilessly cut off his tongue. Still, he used his foot and his spilling blood to write ‘Long live the revolution’.”
“刘仁堪烈士在就义前，敌人残忍地割下了他的舌头，他仍然用脚蘸着流下的鲜血写下‘革命成功万岁’。”

“Martyr Jiang Shanzhong left a letter behind, written with his own blood, ‘Death to the underworld will not turn back water, and protect the Communist Party for thousands of years’.”³⁾
“江善忠烈士留下血书，‘死到阴间不反水，保护共产党万万年’。”

“Xia Minghan went to prison, faithful and unchanging. In a letter to his wife, he sent the heroic oath of ‘persist in our aspirations, vow to spread the truth to the earthly world’.”
“夏明翰身陷牢狱坚贞不屈，在给妻子的家书中发出‘坚持革命继吾志，誓将真理传人寰’的豪迈誓言。”

“In the Battle of Xiangjiang River, martyr Chen Shuxiang‘s feats, ‘heartbreakingly showing his sincere convictions’, touch people, it really is ‘a thousand drops of blood from the Red Army on every inch of the ground, and an honorable hero’s body on every step’.”
“在湘江战役中，陈树湘烈士‘断肠明志’的事迹十分感人，真是‘寸土千滴红军血，一步一尊英雄躯’。”

Continued there.
____________

Notes

Stuff like this:

1)	1/11/84 Lars‑Erik Nelson suggests another source for the Medal of Honor story: an apocryphal item in the April 1944 issue of Reader’s Digest, a magazine known to be a life‑long Reagan favorite. “The bomber had been almost ripped apart by German cannon,” it read. “The ball turret gunner was badly wounded and stuck in the blister on the underside of the fuselage. Crewmen worked frantically to extricate the youngster, but there was nothing they could do. They began to jump. The terror‑stricken lad screamed in fear as he saw what was happening. The last man to jump heard the remaining crewman, a gunner, say, ‘Take it easy, kid. We’ll take this ride together.’”
2)	Seems this could be translated as after modernity, but that wouldn’t make sense to me because 近代 – among Chinese, and not among Americans or Taiwanese – usually refers to the times from around 1912 and 1949. Among the latter, it would be from the late Ming dynasty to 1912 (according to Wikipedia as of Oct 20).
3)	Not necessarily a correct translation; found online, on a site full of commercials and reroutings

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Special two-hour transmissions by Radio Taiwan International in German

As custom at Radio Taiwan international‘s (RTI) German service, there will be a number shortwave broadcasts directly from Taiwan this summer, as announced here.

Weekday	Dates
Friday	July 30, August 6, August 13, August 20.
Saturday	July 31, August 7, August 14, August 21.
Sunday	August 1, August 8, August 15, August 22.

On each of the above days, there will be a broadcast on 11705 kHz from 17:00 to 18:00 hours UTC and one on 9545 kHz from 18:00 to 19:00 hours UTC.

We can probably expect one hour of different program items per day, at 17:00, repeated at 18:00 UTC. RTI’s German program output per day is about sixty minutes, but routinely, only half of it is aired on shortwave, as regular broadcasts via the Kostinbrod relay in Bulgaria are only 30 minutes long. The remaining half is provided online.

Great Matters of the State, Educational Tour

CCTV Xinwen Lianbo, June 5, 2021

The following is a newsitem from Xinwen Lianbo (CCTV evening news) on June 5. The term 国之大者 (guózhī dàzhě), coined in recent contexts by party secretary general Xi Jinping, appears to have led to some confusion, without anyone within the propaganda department or any CPC interface with the public to clarify the meaning.

The non-communist public figures, commonly referred to dangwai in Chinese politics, appear to be facing higher expectations to be faithful agents of the Communist Party of China in the pursuit of state affairs, or intensified worshippers of the CPC as it  commermorates its 100th founding anniversary.
The Upenn language blog has done some heroic explanatory work for the term guózhī dàzhě, and as I can’t find anything more convincing online, I’ve decided to translate it as great matters of the state.
Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Celebrating the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China, officials of all non-communist parties’ central committee members and public figures and representatives with no party affiliations went to Shanghai and to Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, for visits and studies.

[视频]庆祝中国共产党成立100周年 各民主党派中央负责人和无党派人士代表赴上海 浙江嘉兴参观学习
来源：央视网2021年06月05日 19:18

CCTV online news (Xinwen Lianbo): with permission from the Communist Party of China’s central committee, the Central United Front organized a trip by members of all non-communist parties’ central committee officials and public figures and representatives with no party affiliations to Shanghai and Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, so as to admire the site of the Communist Party of China’s first congress, and the Nanhu Red Boat. A symposium was also held.

央视网消息（新闻联播）：经中共中央批准，中央统战部组织各民主党派中央负责人和无党派人士代表今天（6月5日）赴上海、浙江嘉兴，瞻仰中共一大会址和嘉兴南湖红船，并举行座谈会。

The one-hundred years of struggle have amply demonstrated that without the Communist Party there would be no New China, that without the Communist Party there would be no socialism with Chinese characteristics, the Chinese people wouldn’t have stood up, wouldn’t have prospered, wouldn’t have become stronger. It is hoped that non-communist democratic party public figure will always cherish “great matters of the state”, thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping’s ideology of New Era socialism with Chinese characteristics, firmly develop party history education, always faithfully maintain the leadership of the Communist Party of China, keep to the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics, strengthen the joining of forces of party construction, and unite in the common effort of promoting the development of multi-party cooperation, so as to create a beautiful future for the Chinese people and the Chinese nation.

中国共产党百年奋斗历程充分表明，没有共产党就没有新中国，没有共产党就没有中国特色社会主义，中国人民就不可能站起来、富起来、强起来。希望各民主党派、无党派人士始终胸怀“国之大者”，深入学习贯彻习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想，扎实开展中共党史学习教育，始终不渝坚持中国共产党的领导，走中国特色社会主义道路，加强中国特色社会主义参政党建设，协力推进多党合作事业发展，共同创造中国人民和中华民族的美好未来。

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Related

Political parties in China, Wiki, last edited June 6

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“Age of Awakening” Screenplay Writer Long Pingping faces Heroic Death (at least 20 times)

The following is a translation of a report published by (apparently privately-run) Shanghai news portal “Guanchazhe”, aka “Observer”. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

Revolutionary lectures

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On April 25, the screenwriter of soon-to-be-broadcast “Age of Awakening” and former director of the Party Literature Research Center’s 3rd research department director as well as Tongji University specially appointed professor Long Pingping, and the two young actors Zhang Wanyi and Ma Qiyue who are playing martyr Chen Yannian and martyr Chen Qiaonian, as well as several scores of young Tongji University came to Shanghai Longhua Martyrs’ Cemetery to commemorate and to pay tribute to eternally resting Chen Yannian, Chen Qiaonian, Zhao Shiyan and other revolutionary martyrs, and to learn these martyrs’ saga, and to carry forward the heroic spirit.

4月25日，热播剧《觉醒年代》编剧、原中共中央文献研究室第三编研部主任、同济大学特聘教授龙平平，剧中扮演陈延年烈士、陈乔年烈士的两位青年演员张晚意、马启越，以及数十位同济大学青年学子来到上海龙华烈士陵园，缅怀祭奠长眠于此的陈延年、陈乔年、赵世炎等革命烈士，学习先烈们的英雄事迹、弘扬英烈精神。

Longhua Martyrs’ Cemetery with its green trees full of life is dignified and solemn. The tomb stones of revolutionary martyrs like Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian lie quietly in the warm spring sunshine.

龙华烈士陵园树木葱郁、庄重肃穆。陈延年、陈乔年等革命先烈的墓碑静静地躺在春日暖阳中。

The grave-sweeping ceremony begins, everyone stands tall in silence in a tribute to the revolutionary martyrs who saved the Chinese nation from extinction, and gallantly dedicated their lives to the great cause of salvation and survival of the Chinese nation, and the people’s freedom and happiness.

祭扫仪式开始，现场全体人员肃立，向为实现中华民族救亡图存、人民自由幸福的伟大事业而英勇献身的革命先烈们默哀。

Having completed the moment of silence, “Age of Awakening” screenwriter Long Pingping, the two young actors Zhang Wanyi and Ma Qiyue who are playing martyr Chen Yannian and martyr Chen Qiaonian bow one after another and lay flowers, extending their deeply-felt fond memory and sublime respect.

默哀毕，《觉醒年代》编剧龙平平、剧中饰演陈延年、陈乔年的两位青年演员张晚意、马启越依次鞠躬献花，向长眠于此的革命先烈致以深切缅怀和崇高敬意。

After the ceremony, everyone comes to Longhua Martyrs’ Cemetery square for Long Pingping’s vivid party history lesson, reviving the course of the party’s development, giving an account of the two martyrs’ Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian heroic feats.

祭扫仪式结束后，大家来到龙华烈士纪念碑广场，龙平平在此给现场的同济青年学子上了一堂生动的党史课，重温党的发展历程，讲述了陈延年、陈乔年两位革命先烈的英雄事迹。

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In 1927, the KMT reactionaries started the “April-12 counter-revolutionary coup d’état in Shanghai, with rivers of blood from Communists and revolutionaries. In the time of peril, Chen Yannian took the post of Jiangsu and Zhejiang regional party secretary, so as to quickly recover the ravaged party and labor union work by working day and night.

1927年，国民党反动派在上海发动“四·一二”反革命政变，共产党人和革命志士血流成河。危亡之际，陈延年接任中共江浙区委书记，为迅速恢复被摧残的党和工会组织日夜奔忙。

On June 26, Chen Yannian was unfortunately arrested and imprisoned when opening a meeting of the provincial party conference. On July 4, less than ten days after his arrest, Chen Yannian was taken to the Longhua execution ground where he was executed.

6月26日，陈延年在召开省委会议时不幸被捕入狱。7月4日，被捕不到10天，陈延年被押赴龙华刑场行刑。

At the execution, the executioner held high a butcher’s knife and, with intense viciousness, ordered: “kneel down!”

临刑之际，刽子手高举屠刀，恶狠狠地勒令“跪下！”

Chen Yannian held his head high and replied: “Revolutionaries die only while standing and won’t kneel down!”

陈延年昂首回道：“革命者只有站着死，绝不下跪！”

In the end, Chen Yannian died a violent death under the KMT reactionaries’ messy knife, aged 29.

最终，陈延年惨死于国民党反动派乱刀之下，时年29岁。

In 1927, Chen Qiaonian succeeded his elder brother, coming to Shanghai as the Communist Party’s Jiangu and Zhejiang provincial organizational director. He secretly and thoroughly went to factories, places in the countryside, agencies and schools, and contacted comrades to recover and rebuild the party’s grassroot organizations.

1927年冬，陈乔年继承长兄遗志，来到上海，担任中共江苏省委组织部长。他秘密地深入工厂、农村、机关和学校，联络同志，恢复和重建党的基层组织。

On February 16,1928, because of turncoat Tang Ruilin’s betrayal, Chen Qiaonian and other Jiangsu provincial comrades were arrested.

1928年2月16日，由于叛徒唐瑞林出卖，陈乔年等江苏省委机关的负责同志被捕。

After their arrest, Chen Qiaonian’s position was exposed, and he was subjected to all kinds of torture, but didn’t say a word. When he bid farewell to his comrades in prision, Chen Qiaonian said optimistically: “let our offspring, the generations that follow us, enjoy the happiness their forbears who blazed new trails!”

被捕后，陈乔年身份暴露，在狱中受尽种种酷刑，但不发一言。在与狱中同志告别时，陈乔年乐观地说道：“让我们的子孙后代，享受前人披荆斩棘的幸福吧！”

On June 6, 1928, Chen Qiaonian died a martyr’s death, aged 26.

1928年6月6日，陈乔年慷慨就义，年仅26岁。

Talking about the “Age of Awakening” scene where the brothers Chen Yannian and Chen Qiaonian died as martyrs, Long Pingping said that he had seen these fragments for at least twenty times, and every time, he couldn’t stop himself from crying loudly.

谈及《觉醒年代》剧中陈延年陈乔年兄弟两就义的场景，龙平平表示，这个片段自己看了不下20遍，每看一次，就忍不住大哭一次。

He says: These men from 100 years ago are examples for the young people of today. Nobody must forget them. With them as our examples, we must build our country well and fulfill these revolutionary martyrs’ final wishes!”

他说：“100年前的他们，就是今天青年人的楷模和榜样。大家不能忘记他们，要以他们为楷模，把我们这个国家建设好，去实现这些革命烈士的遗愿！”

Long Pingping encouraged today’s young students to continue the martyrs’ fine traditions and fight for the rise of China. He said: “Everyone must surely inherit the martyrs’ spirit, know the importance of truth, display patriotic enthusiasm, and you must contribute your own strengths in our new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics so full of opportunities and vigor.”

龙平平激励当代青年学子要继承先烈的优良传统，为中华之崛起而奋斗。他说道：“大家一定要继承烈士的精神，认识到真理的重要，发挥爱国热情，在我们这样的一个充满着生机和活力的是中国特色社会主义的新时代，贡献出你们自己的力量。”

The students also offered the two martyred heroes hand-painted works jointly signed by young Tongji University representatives, “Socialism will never fail to live up to China” and “A beautiful Era’s Picture Scroll”.

同学们也向两位英烈献上同济青年代表共同签名的“社会主义绝不会辜负中国”和“美好时代画卷”手绘作品，希望以今日之美好生活告慰昨日之牺牲奉献，今后更将继续传承英烈之革命精神，奋进新时代。

After the ceremony and tomb-sweeping activities, makers and staff of “Age of Awakening” came to Guanchazhe Online. Screenplay writer Long Pingping held a lecture titled “‘Age of Awakening’: a rite for the foundations of the great revival.” The two young actors Zhang Wanyi and Ma Qilong also came to the scene and shared the process of thought behind the television play’s production. Guanchazhe Online will bring a detailed report tomorrow.

结束龙华陵园的祭扫活动后，《觉醒年代》主创人员一行来到观察者网。编剧龙平平老师举办了主题为“《觉醒年代》：伟大复兴奠基礼”的讲座，张晚意、马启越两位青年演员也来到现场，和观众分享电视剧创作背后的心路历程。详细报道观察者网将于明日发布。

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Related

The CCP’s 2021 Propaganda Blueprint, China Media Project, April 18, 2021

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Comprehensive Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Iran, “thanks to a Friendly Attitude and Unique Wisdom”

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and Iran’s foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif signed an agreement on a strategic partnership for the duration of 25 years, a deal that, the BBC believes, could give Iran more leverage with the US. While Iran is an important trading partner with even more potential for China, Zarif’s bow to Wang Yi (which apparently isn’t reciprocated) might indicate who needs who more urgently.

Washington reportedly evaluates if a $400 billion investment deal also signed by the two sides “will trigger sanctions under American law”. A day after the signing ceremony, Iran’s foreign radio reported that “major American papers and news outlets have warned about decline in the United States’ power and sphere of influence”.

The following is a translation of a commentary by a People’s University scholar in the Beijing Daily (北京日报), published on April 2 local time and UTC. Links within blockquotes added during translation.

SETV (Fujian) coverage – click photo for details

Main Link:
With the Sino-Iranian 25-years comprehensive cooperation agreement, the “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” is becoming ever broader (中伊25年全面合作协议，“中国特色中东外交之路”越走越宽)

In the past few days, a Sino-Iranian comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement for the duration of 25 years has been officially signed. This is the first time that Iran has signed a comprehensive strategic cooperation agreement with any foreign country, and an important milestone in Sino-Iranian relations.

近日，为期25年的中伊全面合作协议正式签署。这是伊朗首次与外国签署全面战略合作协议，也是中伊关系的重要里程碑。

In 2016, China and Iran established a comprehensive strategic partnership. At the time they also jointly confirmed their intention of achieving this kind of comprehensive cooperation agreement. For five years, there have been high-level exchanges of opinion, a strengthening consensus, and finally the achievements as mentioned above. In the author’s view, the two countries’ movement into the same direction is also a microcosm of China’s Mideast diplomacy. Thanks to a friendly attitude and unique wisdom, we have opened a “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” within the complicated international relations.

2016年，中伊建立全面战略伙伴关系，当时便共同确认了达成这项全面合作协议的意向。五年间，两国高层多次交换意见、强化共识，最终促成了上述硕果。在笔者看来，中伊两国长期的相向而行，也是中国中东外交的一个缩影。凭借友好态度与独特智慧，我们在中东纷繁复杂的国际关系中开辟了一条“中国特色中东外交之路”。

China has always upheld the spirit of the “Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence”, which has won it the wide-spread recognition of Mideast countries. When China recovered its legitimate seat at the United Nations in 1971, the overwhelming majority of Mideast countries firmly supported China’s legitimate claim. After the “One Belt one Road” initiative had been proposed, the Middle Eastern countries responded positively. During this period, China established comprehensive strategic partnership relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, as well as strategic partnerships with Qatar and Jordan, and an innovative comprehensive strategic partnership with Israel. It can be said that China’s Mideastern “friendship circle” keeps widening.

中国在外交中一直秉持“和平共处五项原则”精神，赢得了中东国家的广泛认可。1971年中国恢复联合国合法席位时，绝大多数中东国家都坚定支持了中国的合法诉求。“一带一路”倡议提出后，中东国家更是积极响应。在此期间，中国与伊朗、沙特阿拉伯、埃及、阿拉伯联合酋长国建立了全面战略伙伴关系，与卡塔尔、约旦建立了战略伙伴关系，与以色列建立了创新全面伙伴关系。可以说，中国的中东“朋友圈”越来越大。

As everyone knows, the Middle East region is located centrally within the Eurasian continent, with numerous countries, complex situations, thickets of contradictions, and traditional interference by foreign powers. Big-power games and internal clashes have kept the Mideast region in war and chaos for a long time, with the economy developing only slowly. Therefore, Mideast countries have a skeptical attitude towards many foreign powers. Why does China have such a good reputation? In its diplomacy, China advocates tolerance and setting mutual example rather than civilizational concepts of bipolar antagonism. China and Mideastern countries, including Iran, have different civilizational backgrounds and political and economic environments, but we have never looked at this as something “other”, but looked at them as those who once established splendid civilizations, and which went through thick and thin with New China, who kept watch and defended one another as good partners. This concept of “goodwill, sincerity and tolerance” as well as China’s diplomatic practice of “non-aligned partnership” has led the politically and geographically troubled Mideastern countries to relax precautions and to develop still deeper and closer development with China.

众所周知，中东地区位于亚欧大陆中心位置，国家众多，形势复杂，矛盾丛生，长期以来频频遭受域外大国的干预。大国博弈和内部冲突让中东地区长期战乱，经济发展缓慢。因此，中东国家对很多域外大国都带有怀疑态度。为什么中国能够做到有口皆碑？正在于我们在外交中倡导包容互鉴而非二元对立的文明观念。中国与包括伊朗在内的中东国家有着不同的文化背景和政治经济环境，但我们从未将其视为“异类”，而是看作曾创立过辉煌文明，又与新中国甘苦与共、守望相助的好伙伴。这种“亲诚惠容”的理念，以及中国“结伴不结盟”的外交实践，让深陷政治地理困境的中东国家可以放下戒备，与中国开展更加深入密切的合作。

The official signing of the agreement is only a beginning, and the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Iran continues to grow stronger. From a wider perspective, China’s Mideast diplomacy also merits expectations: The “One Belt one Road” initiative is advancing steadily, China’s talks on free-trade agreements with the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and with Israel are unfolding, Notable achievements have been made in China’s vaccine cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran and other countries, China plays a growing role in the Syria issue, the Palestine-Israel issue and other Mideast hot spots … We have reason to believe that the “road of Mideast diplomacy with Chinese characteristics” is becoming ever broader.

合作协议正式签署只是一个开始，中伊两国全面战略伙伴关系还在不断加强。以更大视野来看，中国的中东外交也值得期待：“一带一路”倡议稳步推进，中国与海合会六国、以色列的自由贸易协定谈判正在开展，中国与阿联酋、巴林、伊朗等国的疫苗合作取得显著成就，中国正在叙利亚问题、巴以问题等中东热点问题中发挥越来越大的作用……我们有理由相信，“中国特色中东外交之路”将越走越宽。

(The author, Li Kunze, is a doctor at the People’s University’s¹⁾ School of International Studies.)

（作者李坤泽系中国人民大学国际关系学院博士）

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Notes

¹⁾ aka Renmin University
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Related

Promising profits, Febr 19, 2018
The Persian paradox, Foarp, Jan 27, 2012
Trusted brothers, Nov 8 2009
Wu Sike corrects biased views, Aug 17, 2009

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