Chinese President Xi Jinping has briefly reviewed the Asian country's achievements and challenges in 2023, while defining "reunification" with Taiwan as "inevitable."
During his end-of-year speech, Xi Jinping has particularly boldly stressed that "reunification" with Taiwan, an island whose sovereignty Beijing claims, is a "historical inevitability", after a year in which there has been an increase in tensions in the Strait of Formosa.
A few days before presidential elections are held in the island territory, the Chinese president also emphasized the need to "maintain long-term prosperity and stability" and the "better integration into the great national development plan" of the semi-autonomous regions from Hong Kong and Macau.
"The control of the pandemic has stabilized," Xi recalled in his only reference to the dismantling of the zero covid policy at the beginning of this year after almost three years of strict restrictions.
In his televised speech, the Chinese president assured that "the Chinese economy continued to recover and improve," while pointing out an "overflowing dynamism of development" in the Asian giant, which was exemplified in the strength of sales of domestically manufactured mobile phones. and the progress of the world's second largest economy in the manufacturing of electric vehicles.
Among the highlights of the year, Xi mentioned the first commercial flight of the Chinese-made C919 aircraft and the Shenzhou space missions, which transported astronauts to China's Tiangong space station.
On the other hand, the leader of the Asian giant has referred to the "people facing difficulties in employment and life" and the areas of the country that have suffered natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes this year and declared "to keep them in mind."
At the international level, Xi has pointed out that "there are still places in the world in the middle of war" and that the Chinese people "are very aware of the value of peace", which is why he assures that his country is "willing to work with the international community to promote the construction of a community with a shared future for humanity.
After a year in which he has recovered his diplomatic activity after two and a half years of isolation due to the 'zero covid' policy and in which he has met with leaders from countries such as the United States, France, the European Union, Spain, Colombia or Brazil, Xi maintains that "China not only develops itself, but also embraces the world and assumes the responsibility of a great power."
The Chinese leader predicts that next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and calls for "deepening reform and opening up in all aspects", "further increasing confidence in development" and "reinforcing economic vitality" in the coming year.
