Pictures of the year 2021: Leading China

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks to villagers who are participating in festive activities, and extends his New Year's greetings to people of all ethnic groups across the country, on a public square of Huawu Village, Xinren Miao Township of Qianxi County, Bijie, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 3, 2021. Xi inspected Guizhou Province ahead of the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, from Feb. 3 to 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has cordial exchanges with Sun Jiadong and Luan Enjie while meeting representatives of space scientists and engineers who participated in the research and development of the Chang'e-5 lunar mission in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 22, 2021. Xi Jinping met representatives of space scientists and engineers who participated in the research and development of the Chang'e-5 lunar mission at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Feb. 22, 2021. Xi also visited an exhibition on the lunar samples brought back by the Chang'e-5 probe and China's lunar exploration achievements as well. Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also attended the event. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with role models in China's poverty alleviation fight and relatives of those model poverty fighters who lost their lives in the country's anti-poverty cause before a grand gathering to mark the nation's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor model poverty fighters at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, greets people while visiting the historical and cultural block of Sanfangqixiang (Three Lanes and Seven Alleys) in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, March 24, 2021. Xi inspected China's Fujian Province from March 22 to 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, waves to the officials and people on-site during a tree-planting activity in Chaoyang District in Beijing, capital of China, April 2, 2021. The activity was also attended by other leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presents People's Liberation Army (PLA) flag and the naming certificate to the captain and political commissar of the Changzheng-18 in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, April 23, 2021. Xi attended the commissioning ceremony of three naval vessels, the Changzheng-18, the Dalian, and the Hainan, and boarded the vessels after the ceremony. The vessels were delivered to the PLA Navy and placed in active service on April 23, 2021 at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a section of the Lijiang River in Yangshuo, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2021. Xi inspected Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from April 25 to 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, leads other leaders including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan to review the Party admission oath after visiting an exhibition on CPC history themed "staying true to the founding mission" at the Museum of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, June 18, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Combo photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, holding a conversation at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (L) with three astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo stationed in the country's space station core module Tianhe (R), on June 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng, Yue Yuewei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, walks with the recipients of the July 1 Medal, the Party's highest honor, into the venue of the award ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 29, 2021. The award ceremony of the July 1 Medal was held on June 29, 2021 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers an important speech at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC and World Political Parties Summit and delivers a keynote speech via video link in Beijing, capital of China, July 6, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrives at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport and is warmly welcomed by local people and officials of various ethnic groups in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, July 21, 2021. Xi visited the Tibet Autonomous Region from July 21 to 23, 2021. He extended congratulations to the 70th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation and visited officials and ordinary people of various ethnic groups. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Gaoxigou Village in Mizhi County during his inspection tour of Yulin City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 13, 2021. Xi inspected Yulin City in Shaanxi Province from Sept. 13 to 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits Yangjiagou revolutionary site in Mizhi County during his inspection tour of Yulin City in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 13, 2021. Xi inspected Yulin City in Shaanxi Province from Sept. 13 to 14, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping addresses the general debate of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly via video on Sept. 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

Xi Jinping straightens the red ribbons on flower baskets during a ceremony offering floral tribute to fallen national heroes on Tian'anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 30, 2021. Xi Jinping and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state, including Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, Han Zheng and Wang Qishan, attended the ceremony on Sept. 30, 2021 on Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing. The event was held to mark China's Martyrs' Day, a day ahead of the National Day. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the estuary of the Yellow River in the city of Dongying, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 20, 2021. After the visit, Xi chaired a symposium on ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, Oct. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with aircraft designer Gu Songfen, winner of China's top science award, after an annual ceremony to honor distinguished scientists, engineers and research achievements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 3, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, casts his ballot at a polling station to elect deputies to the Xicheng district people's congress, in Huairentang, Zhongnanhai electoral district in Xicheng District of Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng attend the sixth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee in Beijing, capital of China. The session was held in Beijing from Nov. 8 to 11, 2021. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with U.S. President Joe Biden via video link, in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 15, 2021. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)