China has begun large-scale commemorative events to mark the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party.

With President Xi Jinping scheduled to deliver a "key speech" at a commemorative ceremony on July 1, the top leadership attended a commemorative concert yesterday, highlighting the party's history and the legitimacy of its rule.

According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency on June 30, China held a concert titled "People First" (Renmin Zhishang) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the evening of June 29 to mark the 105th anniversary.

The concert was attended by the top Chinese leadership, including President Xi, Premier Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Wang Huning, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Cai Qi, first secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party, and Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, who watched the performance alongside an audience of approximately 3,000 people.

The performance began with a children's choir singing "Singing a Folk Song to the Party," followed by songs representing the revolutionary era such as "Ode to the Red Flag," "Ode to the Yellow River," and "The Sky of the Liberated Area," as well as music symbolizing socialist construction, reform and opening-up, and the new era.

The concert concluded with all attendees singing "Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China," a song about the party's revolutionary spirit.

The theme of the concert, "People First," is one of the key governing slogans that President Xi has consistently emphasized since taking power.

Analysts suggest this aligns with the Chinese government's recent policy stance, which prioritizes boosting consumption, stabilizing people's livelihoods, and economic recovery.

Xinhua News Agency described the atmosphere, stating, "(China) has overcome hardships together and moved forward hand in hand for 105 years," and added that "the concert was filled with magnificent emotion and diverse performances from beginning to end."

China will hold a 105th-anniversary commemorative ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing at 10:00 a.m. (local time) on July 1.

At the ceremony, the party plans to award the "July 1 Medal," the highest honor of the Communist Party of China, to recipients and commend outstanding party members, party workers, and grassroots party organizations from across the country.

Xinhua reported that President Xi is scheduled to deliver a "key speech" at the event.

China has held various commemorative events around July 1, the anniversary of the party's founding. Notably, in 2021, the 100th anniversary, a large-scale celebration was held at Tiananmen Square, where the "July 1 Medal" was awarded for the first time.

These commemorative events are taking place amid a new phase of U.S.-China strategic competition following the launch of the second Donald Trump administration, as well as structural challenges such as China's economic slowdown, a real estate slump, and weak domestic demand.

Consequently, attention is focused on what message President Xi will deliver in his speech regarding domestic and foreign policy directions, including economic recovery, technological self-reliance, relations with the U.S., and diplomatic and security strategies, as well as his views on the international situation.