Long March shows why the Communist Party needs strong leadership: state media

A Monday article published by the Communist Party’s mouthpiece argued that a key lesson from the Long March was the need for the party to have a strong core leadership and for its members to uphold that core’s authority.“History shows us that only with a core can the party unite as one, and only with authority can its orders be effectively carried out … The most important thing is to establish and resolutely uphold the party’s core,” wrote Xie Chuntao, vice-president of the Central Party School, in the People’s Daily article.The Central Party School is the country’s top training institution for officials and part of a nationwide system that Xi regards as crucial to maintaining ideological purity. Xi was the school’s head between 2007 and 2012.