Published by ChinaMNC · Laiwu

A Ceremony in Beijing, and What Foreign Founders Can Learn From It

ChinaMNC analysis of the October 22, 2026 commemoration of the 90th anniversary of the Long March, and how foreign founders can use the event to understand official messaging and compliance expectations when building a business in China.

What Happened

On October 22, 2026, a commemoration marking the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army's Long March was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, according to the source article. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, state president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech. The event was attended by Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng, and presided over by Zhao Leji. The report states that roughly 3,000 people took part, including central and Beijing officials, representatives of democratic parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, non-party figures, veteran representatives, military and armed police personnel, and representatives of capital residents.

Why this matters to a foreign founder: events of this kind set the tone for official discourse in China. Understanding the language used at the top helps founders anticipate how policy priorities are communicated, and how public and private institutions are likely to frame expectations in the months ahead. Nothing in the report creates new registration or tax rules, but it does inform the wider context in which those rules are applied.

The Speech in Brief

Xi's address stressed that remembering history enables a better future, and called for continued effort under the Party's leadership while carrying forward the Long March spirit. The report describes the Long March as spanning 1934 to 1936, covering more than ten provinces and a distance of 25,000 li, with the Red Army's First, Second and Fourth Front Armies and the 25th Army taking part. It states that the march broke through encirclement and pursuit by more than a million enemy troops, defeated efforts to eliminate the Party and the Red Army, and completed a strategic shift northward to resist Japanese aggression.

Xi attributed the victory to four factors: correct Party leadership, firm revolutionary will, independence and fact-based pragmatism, and support from the broad masses. He described the Long March spirit as part of the Party's spiritual lineage and as a source of strength, and said the march's history continues to unfold in new forms. He cited the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects as having been achieved on schedule, and said the country is now working on the second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.

He set out five requirements for the new march: upholding the Party's ideals, convictions and purpose; pursuing high-quality development and common prosperity for all; undertaking the great struggle with many new historical features while better coordinating development and security; accelerating the building of a world-class military; and upholding Party leadership and strengthening Party building through full and rigorous self-governance. Zhao Leji said the speech was political, thoughtful and instructive, summarized the victory's causes and set clear requirements.

How Foreign Founders Can Read This

The article is a political commemoration, not a business notice. It contains no new company registration procedures, tax measures, investment rules or incentives. Founders should not treat it as regulatory guidance. Still, some of its themes echo language that appears in economic policy discussion, and reading them carefully is useful background.

1. Development and security move together

The speech calls for better coordination of development and security. For founders, this points toward the broader environment in which licensing, data handling, export controls and compliance obligations sit. Treat regulatory compliance as a permanent function, not a one-off filing at registration.

2. High-quality development is the stated priority

The report refers to quality improvement and reasonable quantity growth in the economy, and to satisfying growing public needs. Foreign founders can expect continued emphasis on the substance of a business — real operations, real products, real employment — rather than headline registration numbers. Keep business plans specific and consistent with what the entity actually does.

3. Independence and pragmatism

The speech stresses adapting general principles to concrete national conditions. In practice, this is a reminder that formal rules and local implementation both matter. Work with qualified local advisers, verify requirements with the relevant authorities, and avoid assuming that practice in one city matches another.

4. Leadership and governance expectations

Much of the address concerns Party building and self-governance. Foreign-invested companies are not the subject of that passage, but the tone signals that governance, organizational discipline and clear internal accountability are valued. Maintain clean books, clear reporting lines and documented approvals.

5. Public support and social context

The speech highlights the role of public support. For founders, the practical version is to understand the local community, hiring practices and public expectations around how a business behaves, in addition to formal legal requirements.

Practical Checklist

• Separate context from rules: use this article to understand official messaging, and use published regulations for registration and tax decisions.
• Confirm current requirements: procedures and documents can change; check with the market regulation, tax and commerce authorities or a qualified adviser.
• Build compliance capacity early: plan for licensing, data, labor and export-related obligations from the start rather than after a problem appears.
• Match plans to operations: keep the business scope and filings consistent with actual activity, reflecting the emphasis on quality and coordination with security.
• Document governance: keep records of internal approvals, board decisions and authority delegated to local management.
• Engage locally: understand the city and district where you operate, and seek local professional advice on implementation.

None of these steps is derived from specific new measures in the source, which announces no business policy changes. They are general practices consistent with the themes the report emphasizes.

Bottom Line

The October 22 event was a high-level political commemoration centered on history, leadership and the Long March spirit. For foreign founders, its business value lies in context: official communication continues to stress Party leadership, high-quality development, coordination of development and security, and pragmatic adaptation to Chinese conditions. Use that context to inform planning, while relying on current published regulations and professional advice for registration and operations.

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.