Xi Jinping on 31 December.
Photographer: Yao Dawei / Xinhua / Getty Images
Photographer: Yao Dawei / Xinhua / Getty Images
President Xi Jinping issued an extraordinarily upbeat assessment of China’s future, pointing out that ‘time and situation’ were on the country’s side in a new year marked by domestic unrest in the US
The Chinese leader said at a rally of officials at the provincial and ministerial level on Monday that he “weighs opportunities in general outweigh the challenges”, a clear shift from his sometimes frightening warnings of recent months. While reiterating a common allusion to the challenges of President Donald Trump’s “America First” policy, he expressed new confidence that China would win in the long run.
“The world is undergoing a profound change in a century, but time and situation are in our favor,” Xi said during the study session at the Communist Party school, according to the official Xinhua News Agency. “This is where our determination and confidence comes from.”
Xi’s optimistic remarks come amid an economic rebound at home and historic upheaval in Washington. In addition to the chaos of Capitol Hill last week and the worsening outbreak of the coronavirus in America, is a forecast released by the Center for Economics and Business Research last month. predicted that in 2028, China would catch up with the US as the largest economy in the world in 2028, five years earlier than a year ago.
In similar remarks in 2020, Xi stressed ‘unprecedented risks and challenges’ while the coronavirus hit China and plunged bilateral ties with the US to historic lows, with disputes over everything, from the pandemic and trade to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Xi on Monday urged provincial officials, who are preparing to approve a new round of five-year plans during their annual legislative session, to remain “humble and careful”, according to Xinhua. He said efforts were needed to raise awareness of potential dangers, consider the worst-case scenarios and deal with more complex and difficult situations.
The legislative session is part of a long series of events as Xi prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling party in July. Xi also reiterated his call for the country to be more independent in terms of technological innovation, while building a ‘super-sized domestic market’ to increase consumption.
– Assisted by Lucille Liu and Jing Li