In his speech to mark the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Chinese President Xi Jinping repeated the term “national rejuvenation” twenty times. The speech reminded the party’s 95 million card-carrying members that “since the very day of its founding, the party has made seeking rejuvenation for the Chinese nation its aspiration and mission.” However, just as “national rejuvenation” betrays the revolutionary conceptions at the founding of the party, the whole official narrative during the nationwide celebration is premised more on hype than reality, raising questions about the party’s commitment to its founding principles.
