BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping called on the Chinese people to build a modern socialist country, vowed to "crush" external forces who try to meddle in the country's internal affairs, and smash any push for independence on Taiwan.
Speaking at a ceremony in Tiananmen Square to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, Xi hailed the system of Marxism with Chinese characteristics for lifting the country to become the world's second largest economy.
