Speaking in front of a reported crowd of 70,000 at a highly-choreographed ceremony in Tiananmen Square, Xi delivered a strongly nationalist speech in which he claimed that only the party could ensure China's continued stability, and any attempt to divide it from the country would fail. "Without the Communist Party, there will be no new China," Xi said to thundering applause and cheers.
Xi's speech capped an occasionally rainy morning of celebrations in the capital to mark the party's centenary, including patriotic songs, speeches from officials and flyovers by the People's Liberation Army Air Force.