At over 80 years old, Li can speak for hours about President Ho Chi Minh, particularly about the chair he sat in during the meeting that led to the establishment of the CPV 95 years ago.
He recalled that when he was young, he heard about the heroism and resilience of the Vietnamese people in their struggle for national liberation under the ingenious leadership of President Ho Chi Minh. Deeply admiring the Vietnamese leader, he decided to learn Vietnamese in order to better understand the culture, people, and country of Vietnam, as well as to study the background and revolutionary career of the President.
Both he and his wife studied Vietnamese at Beijing Foreign Studies University.
In a recent interview with Vietnam News Agency reporters in Hong Kong, Li shared details about the conference that unified the communist organisations into the CPV. He noted that during his time in Guangzhou, China, from 1924 to 1927, Nguyen Ai Quoc (Ho Chi Minh) worked tirelessly to spread Marxism-Leninism to the labour and patriotic movements in Vietnam, laying the theoretical groundwork for the revolution.
At the same time, he established the Vietnam Revolutionary Youth League in June 1925 and organised numerous training courses to prepare personnel and build the organizational structure, creating the ideal conditions for the founding of the CPV.
In late December 1929, Nguyen Ai Quoc traveled to China as a representative of the Communist International, using the name Tong Van So. He convened and presided over a conference to merge three Vietnamese communist organisations—the Communist Party of Indochina, the Communist Party of Annam, and the Communist League of Indochina—into a unified political party of of the proletariat.
Li emphasised that his dedication to researching Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh comes from his deep affection, respect, and admiration for the Vietnamese leader, whom he regards as the father of the Vietnamese people and a great friend of the Chinese people.
Today, the scholar continues to follow Vietnam's socio-economic developments closely. During major celebrations in both Vietnam and China, he often writes poems praising the long-standing friendship and relations between the two countries, sharing these compositions with family and friends.
Li proudly shared that he has basically completed a collection of documents related to the various places and landmarks President Ho Chi Minh visited during his journey to find a way to save his country from 1911 to 1941. Additionally, he has personally researched, compiled, and published a book decoding the numerous names and aliases used by President Ho Chi Minh throughout his revolutionary activities. Recently, Li also served as an advisor for the crew of the film Nguyen Ai Quoc in Hong Kong.
