President Xi Jinping delivers a New Year address on Saturday evening, Dec 31, 2022, in Beijing to ring in 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]
President Xi Jinping on Saturday expressed strong confidence and optimism about China's economy in his New Year address to ring in 2023, saying the economy enjoys "strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality".
While speaking from Beijing through China Media Group and the Internet on New Year's eve, Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, reviewed the country's achievements in 2022 and extended his wishes for the coming year.
Xi said that the fundamentals sustaining the country's long-term growth have remained strong. "As long as we stay confident and strive for progress while maintaining stability, we will realize the goals we have set," he said.
Speaking of the socioeconomic development in 2022, Xi said the country's GDP for the whole year is expected to exceed 120 trillion yuan ($17.23 trillion).
The Chinese economy has remained the second largest in the world and enjoyed sound development over the year, Xi said. Despite a global food crisis, China has secured a bumper harvest for the 19th year in a row, putting it in a stronger position to ensure the food supply of the Chinese people, he added.
Xi cited the achievements made by the country in 2022, including the success of the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games; the launch of Shenzhou-13, Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 spacecraft; the launch of China's third aircraft carrier Fujian; land the delivery of C919, China's first large passenger aircraft.
Noting that China has entered a new phase of COVID response, Xi called for doubled effort from the Chinese people to pull through as perseverance and solidarity mean victory.
"Since COVID-19 struck, we have put the people first and put life first the entire time," Xi said. "Following a science-based and targeted approach, we have adapted our COVID response in light of the evolving situation to protect the life and health of the people to the greatest extent possible."
"Everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and the light of hope is right in front of us," Xi said.
He said that the convening of the 20th CPC National Congress has sounded a clarion call of the times for the Chinese people forging ahead on a new journey and an ambitious blueprint has been drawn for building a modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.
In his address, Xi paid high tribute to late Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who passed away on Nov 30 at the age of 96, praising his "towering achievements and noble demeanor."
He recalled his visit to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region this year, saying he was glad to see that Hong Kong has restored order and is set to thrive again.
In terms of China's relations with the rest of the world, Xi said that China cherishes peace and development and values friends and partners as always. "We stand firm on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress. We work hard to contribute China's wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity," he said.
Looking to the future, Xi said that China will be a country that performs miracles through hard work as it goes forward. "As long as we have the resolve to move mountains and the perseverance to plod on, as long as we keep our feet on the ground and forge ahead with our journey by making steady progress, we will turn our grand goals into reality," he said.
He called for unity of all the Chinese people to tide over the difficulties on the way ahead.
As China is a big country, Xi said it is only natural for different people to have different concerns or hold different views on the same issue. "What matters is that we build consensus through communication and consultation," he said. "When the 1.4 billion Chinese work with one heart and one mind, and stand in unity with a strong will, no task is impossible and no difficulty insurmountable."
The people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are members of one and the same family, Xi noted, expressing his hope that the compatriots on both sides of the Strait will work together with a unity of purpose to jointly foster lasting prosperity of the Chinese nation.
Xinhua contributed to the story