Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders attend the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING, March 13 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday called for forming a mighty force for building a great modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation as the curtains closed on the annual "two sessions," which started a new chapter of Chinese modernization with a competent leadership and detailed policies.

From this day forward to the mid-21st century, the central task of the entire Communist Party of China (CPC) and all Chinese people will be to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts, said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), while addressing the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature.

"The relay baton of building a great modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation has been historically passed on to our generation," said Xi, who was unanimously elected Chinese president and chairman of the CMC of the People's Republic of China Friday at the session.

Xi stressed accelerating Chinese modernization in accordance with the strategic decisions made at the 20th CPC National Congress.

"The people's trust is the biggest motivation that drives me to march on and a great responsibility I shoulder," Xi said. "I will faithfully fulfill my responsibilities bestowed by the Constitution, with the nation's needs as my mission and the people's interests my yardstick."

Xi pledged to perform his duty scrupulously, do his utmost, and prove worthy of the trust of all NPC deputies and the Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

On the new journey ahead, China will unswervingly advance high-quality development, Xi said.

The country should fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts and accelerate efforts to create a new pattern of development, he noted.

Xi called for fully implementing the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the workforce development strategy and the innovation-driven development strategy.

China should work to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, promote industrial transformation and upgrading, advance coordinated urban-rural and regional development, and foster green and low-carbon economic and social development, Xi said.

Efforts should be made to effectively upgrade and appropriately expand the economy, and continuously increase the country's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities and composite national strength, he said.

Emphasizing putting the people first on the new journey, Xi said the people are the decisive force in building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Xi urged efforts to actively develop whole-process people's democracy, and to uphold the unity of the leadership of the CPC, the running of the country by the people, and law-based governance.

He said a people-centered philosophy of development must be implemented so that the gains of modernization will benefit all people fairly, and that more notable and substantive progress will be made in promoting prosperity for all.

Xi also stressed strengthening and expanding the great unity of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups and the great unity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad.

"By doing so, we will mobilize all favorable factors and form a mighty force that will facilitate the building of a great modern socialist country and the advancement of national rejuvenation," Xi said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Stressing better coordinating development and security, Xi said security is the bedrock of development, while stability is a prerequisite for prosperity.

Xi underscored the need to pursue a holistic approach to national security, improve the national security system, strengthen China's capacity for safeguarding national security, enhance public safety governance, improve the social governance system, and safeguard China's new development pattern with a new security architecture.

Xi demanded efforts to advance the modernization of national defense and armed forces on all fronts, and build the people's armed forces into a "Great Wall of steel" that is capable of effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi also stressed solid efforts in advancing the practice of "one country, two systems" and the cause of national reunification.

He stressed the need to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the policy of "one country, two systems," under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy.

Xi underscored the importance of remaining committed to law-based governance in Hong Kong and Macao, and supporting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) and the Macao SAR in growing their economies, improving their people's lives, and better integrating themselves into the country's overall development.

He stressed adhering to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, actively promoting the peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, resolutely opposing external interference and "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, and firmly advancing the process of national reunification.

Pledging efforts to promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said China's development benefits the world and China cannot develop in isolation from the rest of the world.

Stressing that China will make concrete efforts to advance high-standard opening up, Xi said the country will not only leverage global markets and resources for its own development, but also promote the development of the whole world.

"We will be dedicated to peace, development, cooperation, and mutual benefit, stand firmly on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, and uphold the shared values of humanity," Xi said.

He added that China will play an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system, contribute its share to building an open world economy, advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, add more stability and positive energy to the peaceful development of the world, and foster a favorable international environment for China's development.

Xi stressed upholding the leadership of the CPC and the centralized, unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee.

It is important to stay alert and determined to tackle the special challenges that a large party like the CPC faces, Xi said.

He underlined the importance of always having the courage to carry out self-reform, conducting full and rigorous Party self-governance unceasingly, and fighting corruption resolutely.

Efforts are needed to always maintain the Party's solidarity and unity, and ensure that the CPC will never change its nature, its conviction, or its character, so as to provide a firm guarantee for building China into a great modern socialist country and realizing national rejuvenation, he added.