BEIJING, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Every year on New Year's Eve, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers his New Year greetings to the Chinese people from his office, with the Great Wall, a symbol of the Chinese nation's resilience and heritage, depicted the backdrop.
This time was no exception. On Wednesday evening, with a warm smile, Xi sat at his desk to reflect on the remarkable achievements of China and its people throughout 2025, and lay out his expectations for the new year.
As 2026 begins, Xi's address, filled with encouragement, invites a closer reading of his bold vision for China's path forward and its role on the world stage.
NEW JOURNEY OF CHINESE MODERNIZATION
The year 2025 marks the completion of China's 14th Five-Year Plan for economic and social development. "We met the targets in the Plan and made solid advances on the new journey of Chinese modernization," Xi said.
As 2026 ushers in the 15th Five-Year Plan, Xi called for promoting high-quality development, further deepening reform and opening up, delivering prosperity for all, and writing a new chapter in the story of China's economic and social miracles.
At the heart of Xi's vision is high-quality development, with an emphasis on turning China's economy into an innovative powerhouse.
Xi has always placed strong emphasis on driving China's high-tech development. In April last year, during an inspection tour in Shanghai, he visited a model innovation center, a hub housing over 100 enterprises dedicated to cutting-edge technologies.
During his visit, Xi experienced firsthand some of the latest AI-powered products, even trying on a pair of smart glasses. He also noted how China has abundant data resources, a complete industrial system and a vast market, with promising prospects for the development of artificial intelligence.
The Chinese leader also stresses international technological cooperation. Last November at the APEC leaders' meeting in South Korea, Xi pushed for the establishment of a World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization to foster global collaboration and governance of AI. For him, the rapid advance of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence is opening new horizons for humanity.
As China advances its modernization efforts, green development remains a central focus. "Clear waters and lush mountains have become a salient feature of our landscape," Xi noted in his New Year message. This is a vision he has consistently held and promoted for decades.
This principle was further reinforced in Xi's video address at the 2025 UN Climate Summit, where he announced China's 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions. Among a range of commitments, he pledged that by 2035, China would reduce economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from peak levels, or even more.
For Singapore-based political commentator Ang Teck Sin, Chinese modernization carries broader global significance. "China has demonstrated the possibility of achieving national development while contributing to shared global prosperity," he said.
EMBRACING THE WORLD
As global turbulence escalated in the past year, one historic moment captured the world's attention. On Sept. 1, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in the Chinese port city of Tianjin, Xi proposed the Global Governance Initiative.
"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," Xi noted in his New Year message which was broadcast in multiple languages to a global audience.
The year 2025 also marked the 80th anniversary of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations. In the lead-up to the SCO summit, Xi met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and reaffirmed China's commitment to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.
The world is undergoing profound transformations. Multipolarity is gaining momentum, economic globalization faces mounting headwinds, and calls are growing for greater democracy in international relations. At the same time, Cold War thinking, 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," U.S. economist Jeffrey Sachs commented.
In his Wednesday's New Year address, Xi said that China has "continued to embrace the world with open arms."
Xi's words were underscored by a year of active diplomacy. During 2025, the Chinese leader has reached out to the world extensively. Whether it was during his foreign visits to Southeast and Central Asia, or hosting foreign leaders in China, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation has always been a main theme.
When King Tupou VI of Tonga visited China in November last year, he experienced Juncao technology -- an initiative Xi has championed to combat poverty.
Juncao is a grass used to cultivate edible mushrooms, feed livestock, and prevent soil erosion. As the King noted, the technology has immense potential for developing countries like Tonga.
Xi shared his idea for global cooperation, telling the King that China will share development opportunities with countries around the world.
In addition to Xi's major global initiatives, 2025 also reflected China's stronger commitment to promoting more inclusive development amid a world split between unilateralism and protectionism on the one hand, and multilateralism and openness on the other.
In December, China launched special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port, the world's largest of its kind by area, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanded zero-tariff coverage and more business-friendly measures.
During his visit to the island province in November, Xi outlined his vision for the Free Trade Port to become a key gateway that leads China's new era of opening up to the world.
Historically, the island -- which extends further south than some parts of northern Thailand, Laos and Vietnam -- has been a focal point of the country's reform efforts. In 1988, it became the only provincial-level economic special zone, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's drive for modernization.
On this point of historical continuity, Xi said: "We are following the path of reform and opening-up with Chinese characteristics, step by step, and here we are today."
"China does not make empty promises," said Lee Ju-kwan, director of the National Center for APEC Studies at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy of South Korea.
Lee said China has translated its commitments into specific actions, which "vividly demonstrate China's commitment to advancing openness and fulfilling its responsibilities as a major country," he added.
That is a message Xi has also made clear in the New Year message. "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." ■
