Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for steady, goal-oriented progress as China enters a new phase of development, urging confidence, reform, and sustained action in his 2026 New Year message delivered on New Year’s Eve.
Reflecting on the country’s achievements in 2025, the final year of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Xi stated that China had met its major economic and social development targets and made significant strides on the new journey of Chinese modernization. He described the past five years as both challenging and transformative, crediting sustained effort and long-term planning for the country’s progress.
“Our economic strength, scientific and technological abilities, defense capabilities, and composite national strength all reached new heights,” Xi remarked, noting that China’s economic output is expected to approach approximately 140 trillion yuan.
Xi highlighted innovation as a key driver of China’s high-quality development, citing advancements in artificial intelligence, domestic semiconductor research, aerospace exploration, and major infrastructure projects. He stated that these achievements were reinforcing new productive forces and reshaping daily life.
“Many large AI models have been competing in a race to the top, and breakthroughs have been achieved in the research and development of our own chips. All this has turned China into one of the economies with the fastest-growing innovation capabilities,” he said.
He also noted that environmental protection had progressed alongside economic growth, with clear waters and lush mountains becoming defining features of the country’s development path.
At the same time, he noted improvements in social welfare, including enhanced protection for workers in new forms of employment, expanded elderly care services, and childcare subsidies.
“No issue of the people is too small; we care for every leaf and tend to every branch in the garden of people’s well-being,” Xi said.
Cultural development was also a prominent theme in the address, with Xi citing the growing public interest in museums, cultural heritage, and traditional arts, as well as the global popularity of Chinese cultural icons. He remarked that these trends reflected a renewed confidence in Chinese culture and identity.
Describing 2025 as a year “full of indelible memories,” Xi highlighted China’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, as well as the establishment of Taiwan Recovery Day. He stated that these events reinforced national unity and historical awareness, rallying support for China’s long-term development goals.
On national cohesion, Xi reaffirmed support for the “one country, two systems” framework in Hong Kong and Macao and emphasized integration within China’s broader development strategy. He also reiterated Beijing’s position on Taiwan, stating that nothing can stop reunification.
“We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait share a bond of blood and kinship. The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable,” he stated.
Global engagement and governance
From an international perspective, Xi underscored China’s commitment to openness and multilateral cooperation. He cited China’s climate commitments and its role in global initiatives on development aimed at promoting fairness.
“After announcing the three global initiatives on development, security, and civilization, I put forward the Global Governance Initiative to promote a more just and equitable global governance system,” he remarked.
“The world today is undergoing both changes and turbulence, and some regions are still engulfed in war. China always stands on the right side of history and is ready to work with all countries to advance world peace and development and build a community with a shared future for humanity,” Xi added.
With the new year, Xi stated that the launch of the 15th Five-Year Plan marks a critical starting point for China’s next stage of development. Stressing the importance of planning and execution, he called for deeper reform, expanded openness, and a continued focus on high-quality growth.
“A successful venture should start with a good plan and with clear goals set. We should focus on our goals and tasks, boost confidence, and build momentum to press ahead,” he said.
“We should take solid steps to promote high-quality development, further deepen reform and opening up across the board, deliver prosperity for all, and write a new chapter in the story of China’s miracle,” President Xi stated
He reiterated the need for perseverance and collective effort, describing China’s development journey as ambitious yet achievable.
