Continuing a long-standing tradition, Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday extended his greetings to people all over the country and the wider world in his New Year speech.
“Today’s China is a country closely linked with the world,” Xi noted and sent a message that China, which he said was a country brimming with vigor and vitality, would inject more stability and certainty into the world.
According to a recent survey, 78.34 percent of people around the globe believe the Chinese economy has become a key engine of the global economy, and expect the Chinese economy to play a new and greater role.
The global study was conducted by CGTN Think Tank and the Chinese Institute of Public Opinion at Renmin University of China and surveyed people from 41 countries and regions, representing 65.2 percent of the world’s population.
Injecting certainty to global economy
In the past year, China continued to be the world’s second-largest economy with its GDP estimated to exceed 120 trillion yuan ($17.23 trillion), Xi noted, adding that the nation has secured another bumper harvest despite a global food crisis.
“The Chinese economy enjoys strong resilience, tremendous potential and great vitality,” said the Chinese president.
Xi’s remarks are largely echoed by overseas respondents. Against the backdrop of rising global uncertainties and a world economy in recession, 76.23 percent of global respondents believe that China’s economy will play an important role in “promoting the development of the world economy,” while another 71.1 percent of young respondents remain optimistic about China’s continued economic growth.
High approval for ‘people-centered’ philosophy
The term “the people” has appeared in Xi’s 10 New Year addresses on a total of nearly 90 occasions, signaling the country’s people-centered philosophy.
In his addresses, Xi has mentioned deliverymen, taxi drivers and medical workers, expressed concerns about the lives of millions of poor rural people, and applauded the devotion of unsung heroes and the extraordinary achievements of ordinary people.
This New Year’s Eve, he expressed concern for what the people are experiencing in the face of surging COVID-19 infections, stressing that it has not been an easy journey for anyone. He said that everyone is holding on with great fortitude, and encouraged an extra effort to pull through, with “the light of hope right in front of us.”
According to the survey, 91.2 percent of global respondents appreciate China’s “people-centered” development philosophy, and this percentage is as high as 95.4 percent in developing countries.
Meanwhile, 84.2 percent of young Chinese respondents believe that Chinese people’s living standards have improved significantly over the past decade and 61.4 percent of young respondents from developing countries believe that the Chinese government has effectively safeguarded the vital interests of the Chinese people.
A total of 80.1 percent of young global respondents believe that China has truly committed to the principle that development should serve the people, depend on the people, with its benefits shared by the people.
A responsible major country
In 2022, the trends of transformation and turbulence continued to evolve. Sailing through the raging waves of the once-in-a-century pandemic, human society has been faced with the hurricanes of geopolitical conflicts, the whirlpools of bloc confrontation, the undercurrents of surging inflation and the cold waves of an energy crunch.
Xi told the world that China stands firmly on the right side of history and on the side of human civilization and progress, saying: “We work hard to contribute China’s wisdom and solutions to the cause of peace and development for all humanity.”
Eighty-five percent of respondents to the survey agreed with the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, advocated by China, with 84.2 percent of young respondents from developing countries and 79.5 percent of young respondents from developed countries concurring.
Thus, a total of 94.2 percent of global respondents agreed with the shared human values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom, and called on countries to resolve differences through dialogue and enhance exchanges and mutual appreciation among civilizations.
More than half (56.2 percent) of global respondents believe that China has fully played its role as a responsible major country in global joint response to COVID-19 and 66.6 percent of young respondents around the world expect China to play a greater role in the global governance process.
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