By+Yuan+Yuan

On December 31， President Xi Jinping extended New Year greetings to the nation in his annual New Year address. Xi pointed to Chinas achievements in 2017 as well as the challenges the country will tackle in the new year and those to follow.

People first

Livelihoods were at the center of Xis message， highlighting the “people first” principle which underlines Chinas governance. Xi said he was aware of peoples primary concerns， which include education， employment， income， social security， medical care， elderly care， housing and the environment.

“There is still much room for improvement in our work concerning peoples well-being. So we must strengthen our sense of mission and responsibility and make every effort to deliver a better life for our people，” Xi said in the speech.

Peng Xinlin， a professor from Beijing Normal University， said during an interview with China Youth Daily that he was most impressed by Xis call for Party and government offi cials to place the peoples needs as their top priority， and regard benefi ting the people as the highest accomplishment of their careers.

“To guarantee and improve peoples livelihoods is not only an economic or social issue， it is a crucial political issue directly concerning our Partys ruling foundation，” Peng said. “To test the effectiveness of our work， the final criteria are whether the people really see the benefi ts， and whether peoples lives have been improved.”

“The word ‘people was mentioned many times in the speech and it is very encouraging，” said Zhang Xianyi， Director of Nanhu Revolutionary Memorial Hall in Jiaxing of east Chinas Zhejiang Province， where the first National Congress of the Communist Party of China （CPC） was held in 1921. “The original aspiration and mission of the Chinese Communists is to seek happiness for the Chinese people and rejuvenation for the Chinese nation，” Zhang said.

Xi said that in 2017 he received many letters from people across the country， including villagers from Tibet Autonomous Region， members of the Ulan Muqir Art Troupe in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region， and undergraduates from Nankai University who joined the military services. Xi wrote back to them， praising them for the efforts they have already made and encouraging them to make further contributions to the country.

The year 2018 will be the fi rst to move toward the goal set by the CPC at its 19th National Congress. “The 19th Party Congress laid out a blueprint for Chinas development in the next three decades and beyond，” Xi said. “To turn this blueprint into reality， we must …take one step at a time as we progress and deliver tangible outcomes.”endprint

“Xis vision for China presents a rather stark contrast to the more mundane messages presented by most other political leaders to their constituents，” William Jones， Washington Bureau Chief of the U.S. magazine Executive Intelligence Review， told Beijing Review. In Joneseyes， the difference lies in the fact that leaders in the West have a viewpoint limited to no more than the four or fi ve years they have left in office， whereas President Xi is looking decades ahead at what China can accomplish in the next 30， 40， or 50 years.

“This breadth of view and sense of purpose characterizes the difference between a mere politician and a great statesman，” Jones said.

Poverty elimination

Since 2015， 2020 has been earmarked as the year in which Chinas campaign to lift all rural residents out of poverty will be achieved， and there now are only three years to go.

“Happiness is indeed earned through hard work，” Xi said in his speech. “Winning this tough battle against poverty within three years means that for the fi rst time in Chinas history of several millennia， extreme poverty will cease to exist in the country.”

Peng Xiaying， a villager from Maoping in south Chinas Jiangxi Province， was excited to hear Xis remarks. In 2017， Peng and her daughter opened a restaurant in the village and their annual income is now more than 100，000 yuan（$15，300）.

“The government has made great efforts to guide us out of poverty，” Peng said. “I am very glad to learn that there were more than 10 million rural residents like me lifted out of poverty in 2017.”

“I can feel the confidence of the people and officials toward the bright future of our country，” said Jiang Shengxia， Party Secretary of Panlong Village in Tongcheng of east Chinas Anhui Province. As a delegate to the 19th CPC National Congress， Jiang has been busy introducing the outcome of the congress to villagers. In 2017， 127 residents from 49 households in Panlong were lifted out of poverty.

“In 2018， we will strive to develop tourism in rural areas and green agricultural industries to help villagers to earn more and live a better life，”Jiang said.

Reform and the world

The year 2018 also marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening up. In his speech， Xi vowed that the spirit of reform must be carried through into the new year as reform and opening up is a path of demonstrable success to which China must stick if it is to continue its progress in national socio-economic development and realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.endprint

On December 31 last year， during the final hours of 2017， the Hong Kong-ZhuhaiMacao Bridge was lit up in a ceremony to mark the completion of the majority of the worlds longest sea-crossing structure. Six years of planning and eight years of construction went into the 55-km-long bridge linking Hong Kong， Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Macao.

“We will build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a green and livable city group，” said Gao Xinglin， an official from the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Management Bureau. “This bridge will be an impetus for the development of the Greater Bay Area.”

“The Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone has taken a new look every year，” said Wang Jinxia， Deputy Director of Qianhai Management Bureau in Shenzhen， Guangdong Province. The booming metropolis of Shenzhen developed from a small fi shing village following the piloting of market economy during the nascent stages of reform and opening up. The Qianhai Area is now a pilot zone in Shenzhen for deepening the process of reform.

“We will intensify reform in Qianhai and explore innovative policies for financial cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong，”Wang said. “We will make it a new key area and an important juncture for Belt and Road construction.”

Proposed by Xi in September 2013， the Belt and Road Initiative aims to build trade and infrastructure networks connecting Asia with Europe and Africa on and beyond the ancient Silk Road routes， with the intention of creating new platforms for international cooperation.

The 19th CPC National Congress outlined the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and the implementation of a new type of international relations as the overall goal of Chinas foreign diplomacy.

“To build a community with a shared future for mankind is Chinas answer to the question of ‘what we can do for the world， and this answer has been well received across the globe，”said Ruan Zongze from the China Institute of International Studies.

“With the world in so much turmoil today， the message of hope which rings clear in Xis New Year address is also a message of hope for the world， since China is prepared to share its development in creating a community of shared future for mankind，” Jones said.endprint