Beijing Marks 100th Birthday of Veteran Proletarian Revolutionary

Beijing Marks 100th Birthday of Late CPC Leader

Over 300 people gathered Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zhang Wentian, an outstanding proletarian revolutionary.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin, who is also General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the meeting convened by the CPC Central Committee.

Vice-President Hu Jintao, also member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over the meeting.

Born in 1900 and died in 1976, Zhang Wentian held several important posts of the CPC during his life.

In his address to the gathering, Jiang said that Zhang was a devoted Marxist and an outstanding proletarian revolutionary, who made monumental contributions to the country and the people during his long career of revolution and socialist construction.

With a deep understanding of the Marxist theory, Zhang had a strong sense of party principles and sharp political vision, Jiang said.

The whole party should learn from Zhang the firm belief in the causes of the party and people, the moral integrity and the courage to uphold truth, the president said.

Jiang also called on party members to learn from Zhang the spirit of learning assiduously, the good tradition of seeking truth from facts and simple living, and the will to serve the people whole-heartedly.

At a time when the party and nation are marching toward the 21st century, the memory of Zhang and other revolutionaries of the older generation will help carry on and further promote their revolutionary spirits, and push forward the great cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, Jiang said.