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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) — Every year on New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his New Year's greetings to the Chinese people from his office, which features the Great Wall of China, a symbol of the Chinese nation's resilience and heritage, in the background.
This time was no exception. On Wednesday evening, Xi Jinping sat at his desk with a warm smile to reflect on the remarkable achievements of China and its people in 2025 and share his expectations for the new year.
At the beginning of 2026, Xi Jinping's inspirational address invites us to take a closer look at his bold vision for China's future path and the country's role on the global stage.
A NEW STAGE OF CHINESE MODERNIZATION
The year 2025 marks the completion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development. "Despite difficulties and challenges, all assigned tasks have been accomplished with excellence, and the country is confidently advancing along the path of Chinese modernization," Xi Jinping said.
As 2026 marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan, Xi Jinping called for promoting high-quality development, further deepening reform and opening up, ensuring prosperity for all, and writing a new chapter in the history of China's economic and social miracles.
At the core of Xi Jinping's vision is high-quality development, with an emphasis on transforming China's economy into an innovation hub.
Xi Jinping has always placed great importance on the development of high technology in China. Last April, during an inspection tour of Shanghai, he visited a model innovation center housing over 100 companies engaged in advanced technologies.
During his visit, Xi Jinping personally inspected some of the latest AI-based products and even tried on a pair of smart glasses. He also noted that China has abundant information resources, a fully-fledged industrial system, and a vast market with promising prospects for the development of AI.
The Chinese leader also emphasizes the importance of international technological cooperation. Last November, at the APEC Leaders' Meeting in the Republic of Korea, Xi Jinping advocated the creation of a World Organization for Artificial Intelligence Cooperation to promote global cooperation and governance in AI. He believed that the rapid development of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence is opening new horizons for humanity.
As China advances its modernization efforts, green development remains a focus. "Emerald waters and green mountains" have become characteristic features of the country's landscape, Xi Jinping noted in his New Year address. He has consistently upheld and promoted this vision for decades.
This principle was further reinforced in Xi Jinping's video address to the 2025 UN Climate Action Summit, where he announced China's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for the period up to 2035. Among a series of commitments, he pledged that by 2035, China would reduce net economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 7-10 percent below peak levels, or even more.
For Singaporean political commentator Ang Teck Sin, China's modernization has broader global significance. "China has demonstrated the ability to achieve national development while contributing to shared global prosperity," he said.
"EMBRACING THE PEACE"
As global instability intensified last year, the world's attention was focused on a historic event. On September 1, during the Tianjin Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Xi Jinping launched the Global Governance Initiative.
“Following the Three Global Initiatives, I launched the Global Governance Initiative, which aims to build a more equitable and rational system of global governance,” Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s address, which was broadcast in several languages for a global audience.
The year 2025 marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the 80th anniversary of the founding of the UN. Ahead of the SCO summit, Xi Jinping met with UN Secretary-General António Guterres and reaffirmed China's commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The world is undergoing profound changes. Multipolarity is gaining momentum, economic globalization is facing increasing headwinds, and calls for the democratization of international relations are growing. At the same time, Cold War mentalities, hegemonism, and protectionism continue to cast a long shadow.
"The Global Governance Initiative marks an unprecedented step toward building an alternative, multipolar, and more equitable world order," commented American economist Jeffrey Sachs.
In his New Year's address on Wednesday, Xi Jinping said China "embraces the world with an open heart."
The Chinese President's words were backed by a year of active diplomacy. Throughout 2025, the Chinese leader made extensive outreach to the world. Whether during his visits to Southeast and Central Asia or when hosting foreign leaders in China, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation remained a constant leitmotif.
During King Tupou VI of Tong's visit to China last November, the monarch learned about the cultivation of juncao grass, a technology promoted by President Xi Jinping to combat poverty.
"Juncao" is a grass used to grow edible mushrooms, feed livestock, and prevent soil erosion. As the king noted, this technology has enormous potential for developing countries like Tonga.
Xi Jinping shared his vision of global cooperation, assuring the monarch that China would share development opportunities with countries around the world.
Beyond the Chinese leader's major global initiatives, 2025 also demonstrated China's stronger commitment to promoting more inclusive development in a world divided between unilateralism and protectionism on the one hand, and multilateralism and openness on the other.
In December 2025, China launched a special customs regime at the Hainan Free Trade Port (HFTP), the world's largest by area, allowing for freer entry of foreign goods, introducing zero tariffs on more products, and introducing more business-friendly measures.
During his visit to Hainan Province last November, Xi Jinping outlined his vision of developing the CPST into a key gateway for China's opening up in the new era.
Historically, Hainan Island, which extends further south than parts of northern Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, has been a key center of the country's reform efforts. In 1988, it became the country's only provincial-level special economic zone, marking a turning point in China's modernization drive.
Drawing attention to historical continuity in this regard, Xi Jinping noted: “We are step by step following the path of reform and opening up with Chinese characteristics, thanks to which we have achieved our current achievements.”
"China doesn't make empty promises," said Lee Ju-kwan, head of the National Center for APEC Studies at the Korea Institute of International Economic Policy in the Republic of Korea.
According to the expert, China has translated its commitments into concrete actions that “clearly demonstrate China’s commitment to promoting openness and fulfilling its obligations as a major power.”
A corresponding message is clearly expressed in Xi Jinping's New Year's address. "China firmly stands on the right side of history and is ready to join forces with all countries to ensure global peace and development in the name of building a community with a shared future for humanity," the Chinese President added.
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