Sun Yat-sen a great patriot for national rejuvenation

A century ago on March 12, the great patriot and revolutionist Sun Yat-sen passed away. The great leader of the democratic revolution was the propagator of republican ideals and a key driver of China's transformation from self-imposed limits to a country with a global vision. His political thought, revolutionary practices, institutional innovations and morally upright character have left an indelible mark on China's modern political and intellectual history.

The fourth paragraph of the preamble to the 1982 Constitution objectively evaluates Sun Yat-sen's contribution to the republican revolution. It praises the historical significance of the 1911 Revolution, which abolished the imperial system. This marked a monumental shift from monarchy to a republic, bridging China's ancient and modern political systems.

The preamble also acknowledges that the historical mission of the Chinese people to fight imperialism and feudalism is far from complete, and the Constitution is a reflection of national history, spirit, and revolutionary achievements.

The Communist Party of China has inherited Sun Yat-sen's revolutionary legacy, completing the task of fighting imperialism and feudalism, and taking on the historical responsibility of national rejuvenation. In his 2011 speech commemorating the centennial of the 1911 Revolution, President Xi Jinping elaborated on the connection between national rejuvenation and national unity.

During a meeting with former Taiwan leader Ma Ying-jeou on April 10, 2024, Xi emphasized the importance of strengthening the shared consciousness of the Chinese nation across the Taiwan Strait and achieving national reunification in order to continue and develop Sun Yat-sen's republican ideals.

Sun Yat-sen has left an invaluable political and institutional legacy. His republican ideals and great contributions to China's modern transformation and traditional Chinese culture, efforts to integrate China with the modern world system, and his thoughts on civil rights and public welfare all hold significant historical and progressive meanings.

Sun Yat-sen proposed the idea of "five races under one union". His focus on the construction of the Chinese nation reflected his efforts to transition China from a state of passivity to active awareness.

In terms of his thought on democracy, Sun Yat-sen synthesized Western democratic republican ideals with Chinese classical traditions, proposing the "three principles of the people" , or democracy, rights of people and people's livelihood, in order to combine national, individual and social interests, and lay a solid foundation for China's modern democracy.

On constitutional thought, Sun Yat-sen integrated the Western three-branch system with traditional Chinese concepts, such as the examination and supervisory powers of the State, in a bid to strike a balance between ancient and modern forms of governance.

On national unity, Sun Yat-sen insisted on using the republican revolution to unify China, opposed regional fragmentation and federalism, and carried forward the tradition of political unity that has long defined China.

Sun Yat-sen's vision of national construction was influenced by his close observation of Western modernization, which had a profound impact on the development of contemporary China.

His political philosophy continues to influence the modernization of China's governance system and governance capacity, and the strengthening of rule of law and bureaucratic accountability. His ideas on national construction and social governance, and his practice-based philosophy of "understanding is difficult, but action is easy", provide valuable guidance even today.

When it comes to cultural and philosophical thought, Sun's unique integration of ancient, modern, Chinese and Western ideas is evident in his theory that "understanding is difficult, but action is easy", in his belief in evolution and materialism, and in his confidence that Chinese culture has a brighter future.

Sun Yat-sen was a revolutionary educator, too, the pioneer of national rejuvenation and a key leader of China's revolution and the liberation of its people. His legacy as a revolutionary and thinker is respected across the Taiwan Strait as well as in wider world. On the new journey to comprehensively realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by advancing Chinese modernization, Sun Yat-sen's ideas and practices remain significant. In the pursuit of peaceful national reunification, he remains the common political link and a vital spiritual pillar of patriotism and national unity.

The author is associate dean of the Law School at Minzu University of China, and a member of the China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful National Reunification.

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