Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent remarks about a major military defeat of the Communist Party in its history might underscore the difficulties his leadership was facing, media reports said.

Xi on Sunday visited a museum in the southern province of Guangxi to commemorate the Battle of Xiangjiang in 1934, which saw the Red Army lose more than half of its forces after being defeated by the Nationalist government army.

The battle took place when the Communist Party had retreated from Jiangxi province and embarked on an escape, or what the party describes as the Long March, from the government army until 1936.

According to the official Xinhua news agency, Xi said that whenever China encountered difficulties in its pursuit of a national revival, people should remember the 1934 battle and the persistence displayed by the Red Army during the Long March. Soldiers in the battle also showed no fear of death, he said.

Xi’s evocation of the defeat has caught observers’ attention. Radio France Internationale said in a report that Xi’s remarks reflected his insecurity arising from a range of challenges, such as pressure from the United States, and a Communist Party meeting later this year to determine if he could serve another term as China’s top leader.

Observers believe that with his efforts to amass power in recent years, Xi is seeking to break unwritten rules that limit a president to two five-year terms.

New York-based Duowei news website reported that Xi was meant to signal that China would face its most difficult time because of the U.S. and its allies. The leader was using his visits to Guangxi and Hainan to boost his determination in dealing with these challenges, Duowei said.

Xi last week attended a ceremony to commission three new advanced warships in Hainan.

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