China Marks Centenary of 1911 Revolution（在线收听）

China has held a grand ceremony to mark the centennial anniversary of the 1911 Revolution that overthrew the long-standing imperial rule over the country.

Addressing the ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Chinese President Hu Jintao paid tribute to the armed uprising and called for the peaceful reunification of China.

XYee has the details.

 
The 1911 Revolution or Xinhai Revolution, led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, began on October 10, 1911.

Within several months, the armed uprising overthrew the Qing dynasty's imperial rule and resulted in a republican government, the first in Asia.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, former President Jiang Zemin and other top leaders attended the ceremony, marking the centenary of the historic event.

Giving a keynote speech, President Hu Jintao highly praised the significance of the revolution as part of the modernization process of the Chinese society.

"It was a thoroughly modern, national and democratic revolution. The revolution of 1911 greatly freed the minds of the Chinese people, opened the flood gates for progress in China and explored a path for the development and progress of the Chinese nation."

Meanwhile, the Chinese President also called for the two sides across the Taiwan Straits to realize peaceful reunification.

"Mr. Sun Yat-sen once said, 'Unification is the hope of all Chinese people. With unification, the country's entire population will benefit; without unification, everybody will suffer.' Realizing unification by peaceful means best serves the fundamental interests of all Chinese people, including our Taiwan compatriots."

The Chinese mainland and Taiwan have been separated since 1949 when the toppled Kuomintang regime fled to the island after losing a civil war to the Communist-led forces.

Meanwhile, Hu Jintao also called for efforts to further advance economic development and political progress as China is speeding up the rejuvenation of the nation.

The president stressed that the country should ensure its development is for the people, by the people and benefits the people.

The 1911 Revolution, by ending 2,000 years of imperial rule in China, paved the way for the spread of democratic ideas and marked the beginning of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

For CRI, I'm XYee.