China cannot deny the accomplishment of Sun Yat Sen et al for the success of the Xinhai Revolution. That’s why Sun Yat Sen must be honoured. How do you resolve the contradiction? You make Sun Yat Sen a communist.
Mao Zedong was a big fan of leftist writer Lu Xun. After Lu Xun’s death, Mao hijacked his works and promoted them as seminal Communist ideology. When asked what would happen to Lu Xun if he had lived to see the Communist era? Mao replied candidly that he would either have to keep quiet or go to jail.