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BEIJING, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping said that the best tribute to Sun Yat-sen is to continue the pursuit for a rejuvenated China that he had dreamed of.

An event commemorating the 150th birthday of Sun Yat-sen is held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday, November 11, 2016. [Photo: Xinhua]

Xi made the remarks here at a gathering to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sun Yat-sen's birth on Friday.

"The best way we commemorate Sun Yat-sen is to learn and carry forward his invaluable spirit, to unite all that can be united and mobilize all that can be mobilized to carry on the pursuit for a rejuvenated China that he had dreamed of," Xi, who is also Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, said in a speech.

Born in 1866, Sun was the founder of the Kuomintang Party, and is a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China.

CPC members are the firmest supporters, most loyal collaborators and most faithful successors of Sun's revolutionary undertakings, Xi said.

"Today, we are closer, more confident and more able to achieve national rejuvenation than ever before," Xi said.

With lots of challenges and difficulties ahead, there is still a long way to go until we have truly modernized the country, revitalized the nation and realized the common prosperity of all Chinese, said Xi.

"I call on all Chinese who revere Mr. Sun Yat-sen, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as well as overseas Chinese, to unite, no matter their political affiliations," Xi said.

Xi called on the Chinese people to learn from Sun's noble patriotism and devotion to the motherland.

Sun's tough life and prolonged struggle for the country, said Xi, taught him that reforming China must be based on the nation's reality and it must follow a development path suitable for China's national conditions.

As it has been proven by the history of both China and other countries,the prosperous nations are the ones that have found development paths suitable for their reality, Xi continued.

Today, to revitalize the Chinese nation, we need to carry forward patriotism, Xi said.

To love the country, the Chinese people should uphold the leadership of the CPC, the socialist system in China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics developed by the Chinese people under the CPC's leadership, he noted.

Xi added that the fundamental principles of the CPC and the Chinese people -- respecting the Chinese reality, learning from the outstanding achievements of all cultures and the independent development of the country -- should also be firmly adhered to.

Xi urged the Chinese people to strengthen confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics.