International salon in Beijing commemorates 90th anniversary of Long March victory

An international friends' salon was held in Beijing on Sep. 3, 2026 to commemorate the 90th Anniversary of  the victory of the Long March as well as the 90th anniversary of the first interview of Chairman Mao Zedong by American journalist Edgar Snow. The event brought together nearly 70 Chinese and foreign guests from all walks of life.

Jointly organized by the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (BPAFFC) and the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (ICCIC-Gung Ho), the salon aims to revisit monumental historical legacies, carry forward the timeless Long March spirit, and deepen international friendship and cross-cultural exchanges.

Wang Yu, secretary of the CPC leadership group and executive vice-president of the BPAFFC, noted in his address that the Long March is not only an epic of the Chinese nation but has long transcended national borders and resonated across the world. He stated that the resilience and spirit of solidarity embodied in the Long March provide spiritual inspiration for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Michael Crook, Chairman of the ICCIC, highlighted the Long March's crucial contribution to the victory of the World Anti-Fascist War. He also paid tribute to Edgar Snow's groundbreaking book Red Star Over China as well as Snow's role in the founding of the Gung Ho cooperatives movement. "Snow was not just a journalist, he was a social activist," emphasized Crook.

Michael Crook, Chairman of the ICCIC, holds a copy of Red Star Over China by Edgar Snow during his keynote speech at the international friends' salon commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Liu Ning)

Laurence Brahm, a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and an American resident of Beijing since 1985, spoke on how, in many ways, the Long March continues on into the New Era.

"The Long March was a means of consolidating an ideological vision that would bring China to become the economic and technological powerhouse of 1.4 billion people today," Brahm said. Reflecting on Edgar Snow's legacy, he noted how Snow delivered objective reporting of the popular struggle of the Communist Party of China and its vision for China's future. "Imagine how different history would be if some of the ideologues and politicians in Washington, D.C. had read and understood the objective reporting of Edgar Snow."

Laurence Brahm, a recipient of the Chinese Government Friendship Award and an American resident of Beijing since 1985, speaks at the international friends' salon commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Liu Ning)

Fan Xingsheng, a scholar at China Center for Edgar Snow Studies, Peking University, gave a presentation on Edgar Snow's time in Beijing shortly before his journey to Yan'an in 1936.

Fadhili Mpunji, a Tanzanian who serves as a Swahili language consultant for China Media Group, spoke of his twenty years in China and the importance of Snow-style transparent reporting on China in solidifying international friendship between the Chinese people and the peoples of Africa.

A panel discussion featuring foreign scholars and experts from Germany, Serbia, Indonesia, and Singapore was also held. They discussed the longstanding legacy of the Long March and how it continues to shape China's trajectory and national spirit.

Two mini-documentaries, one about the triumph of the Long March and another about Edgar Snow's legacy were also shown. In addition, attendees viewed an exhibition of historic photographs of foreign friends of the Chinese revolution on the second floor of the BPAFCC reception hall.

Attendees reciting the poem "The Long March" by Chairman Mao Zedong at the conclusion of the international friends' salon commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 3, 2026. (People's Daily Online/Liu Ning)

The salon concluded with a recitation of Chairman Mao Zedong's poem, "The Long March," by all in attendance.