Ceremony held in Nanjing to pay tribute to Sun Yat-sen

A ceremony was held on Saturday morning at the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province, to commemorate the 160th anniversary of the birth of Sun Yat-sen, who is hailed as a great national hero, a great patriot and a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution.

Sun, a founding figure of the Chinese Kuomintang (KMT) party and a revered revolutionary leader who played a pivotal role in overthrowing imperial rule in China, passed away in 1925. His remains were buried in Nanjing in 1929.

The delegation, comprising representatives of Sun's overseas relatives, descendants of his friends, and representatives from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas Chinese communities, paid tribute to the revolutionary pioneer at the mausoleum.

"More than a century has passed since his passing, yet the positive energy of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's spirit has never faded for the generations he left behind. As a family member, I keep this maxim in mind in everything I do: press forward with courageous aspiration, struggle on with determination despite setbacks, and exert unremitting effort," said Kevin Sun Wei-yung, great-great-grandnephew of Sun Yat-sen .

Rejuvenating China and striving for national reunification were Sun's lifelong missions. This vision remains a shared aspiration of all Chinese people.

"As young people and compatriots from Taiwan, we are deeply moved. Dr. Sun Yat-sen is a national hero revered on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. By visiting the mainland, especially sites like the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, young people from Taiwan will undoubtedly gain profound insights and inspiration that can contribute significantly to peace across the Strait," said Lee Wei-chen, supervisor-in-chief of the Wuchang Uprising Society in the Taiwan region.

"My parents are from opposite sides of the Strait. I strongly desire to see national reunification. We share the same cultural heritage. If we unite as one, we will surely achieve this goal," said Lin Yu-chun, a graduate student at Tsinghua University's School of Journalism and Communication.

Ceremony held in Nanjing to pay tribute to Sun Yat-sen

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has suggested that Ukraine could be offered membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in exchange for withdrawing from the Donbas, according to media reports.

"The Americans raised the question: 'If Ukraine joins NATO, would it withdraw from the Donbas?' This was the first time such a question had been raised," Zelensky told reporters in remarks released by his office on Saturday.

Zelensky has reaffirmed that Ukraine will not retreat or give up its territory. He said Ukraine was discussing a comprehensive security package with its partners that could be offered during peace negotiations.

The package includes specific security guarantees from NATO and the European Union, a strong army with a sufficient number of personnel and weapons, financial support for a specified period and a recovery plan backed by funding from clearly defined sources, Zelensky added.

Trilateral talks involving Russia, the United States and Ukraine just ended on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with no agreement announced on a ceasefire, territorial disputes or long-term security guarantees.

On Thursday, U.S. envoy Jared Kushner said in a social media post that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to expand the next round to include European partners. He said this would allow discussions on broader post-war European security arrangements alongside territorial issues.

Zelensky says U.S. proposes Ukraine to withdraw from Donbas in exchange for NATO membership