Xi's New Year message reflects commitment to development, people's wellbeing: expert

The New Year address delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday night underscores the country's continued commitment to pursuing high-quality development, self-reliance, and improving people's well-being, renowned China expert Robert Lawrence Kuhn said.

Kuhn, also a commentator for China Global Television Network (CGTN), pointed out that while the tone, structure and topic categories of Xi's milestone addresses reflect custom and consistency, subtle variations on big themes can offer insights into how Xi is thinking and what China is planning.

"For his 2025 address, President Xi sets the tone with the metaphor of 'four seasons' expressing the range of events - experiencing 'winds and rains' and seeing 'rainbows,' which combine to portray 'how extraordinary a year we have had.' He recognizes multiple impacts of 'the changing environment at home and abroad,' putting upfront the challenges China has faced and framing these challenges by stating with confidence how China has 'proactively responded'," Kuhn said.

Kuhn highlighted Xi's focus on high-quality development as a top priority.

"The first 'solid gain,' President Xi states, is 'pursuing high-quality development.' This is pre-eminent positioning, signaling and stressing that high-quality development is top priority. The GDP of 130 trillion yuan, or a little over 18 trillion U.S. dollars, and grain output of 700 million tonnes confirm that not only are standards of living improving but, meaningfully, 'China's bowls are now filled with more Chinese grain,' which means less dependency on foreign supplies. Coordinated development between 'new urbanization and rural revitalization' and enhancing 'green development' resonate with Xi's overarching New Concepts of Development," he said.

Xi's address also included detailed accounts of his visits across the country, indicating a commitment to addressing people's concerns, Kuhn stressed.

"President Xi describes his visits to 'many places across the country' in rich detail, perhaps more than in prior addresses, highlighting his focus on improving the lives of ordinary citizens. He states explicitly, 'The concerns of the people about jobs and incomes, elderly and child care, education and medical services are always on my mind.' It is perhaps his most personal and revealing comment," Kuhn said.

Xi's New Year message reflects commitment to development, people's wellbeing: expert

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), held talks with speaker of the Finnish parliament Jussi Halla-aho in Beijing on Monday, to discuss relations between their two countries.

Noting this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Finland, Zhao said China stands ready to work together with Finland to deliver on the important consensus reached between the top leaders of the two countries, and promote continuous development of the China-Finland future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership.

China is further deepening reform comprehensively and expanding high-standard opening up, which will bring new opportunities for bilateral cooperation, Zhao said, noting China is willing to make joint efforts with Finland to expand win-win cooperation and cement public support for bilateral relations.

China hopes that Finland will continue to play a positive role in boosting mutual promotion and common development of China-Finland relations and of relations between China and the European Union (EU), Zhao said.

Zhao said that the NPC is ready to carry forward the traditional friendship and implement close exchange and cooperation with the Finnish parliament.

As China and Finland each have their own characteristics in national governance and development concepts, the national legislatures of the two countries can learn from each other and play their legislative and supervisory roles to create a sound and stable legal environment for practical cooperation between the two countries, he said.

For his part, Halla-aho said that Finland stays committed to the one-China policy, noting the government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.

On the basis of mutual respect and trust, Finland is willing to promote practical bilateral cooperation, safeguard free trade and tackle common challenges, said Halla-aho, noting that the Finnish parliament hopes for enhanced exchange with China's NPC, so as to play a positive role in deepening the relations between Finland and China.

China's top legislator holds talks with Finland's parliament speaker on relations