President sets out major tasks for nation

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tasks: Nation to enable its growth to benefit the world

President Xi Jinping said on Monday that the people's trust is the biggest motivation that drives him to march on and is a great responsibility that he shoulders.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark in Beijing in a speech at the closing meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress, the nation's top legislature, which was also attended by other Party and State leaders.

Xi was unanimously elected president on Friday at the annual NPC session, which closed on Monday after completing all of its agenda items.

"I will faithfully fulfill my responsibilities bestowed by the Constitution, with the nation's needs as my mission and the people's interests my yardstick," he said as he vowed to perform his duty scrupulously, do his utmost and prove worthy of the trust of all NPC deputies and the people of all ethnic groups across the country.

In his speech, Xi laid out key priorities for the nation for the next five years and beyond, pointing out that from this day forward to the mid-21st century, the central task of the whole Party and all Chinese people will be to build China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts.

"The relay baton of building a great modern socialist country and advancing national rejuvenation has been historically passed on to our generation," he said.

Xi called for accelerating Chinese modernization in accordance with the strategic decisions made at the 20th CPC National Congress in October, highlighting the need to adhere to the new development philosophy, accelerate the building of a new development paradigm and advance high-quality development.

He reiterated the importance of achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, promoting industrial transformation and upgrading, advancing coordinated urban-rural and regional development, and fostering green and low-carbon economic and social development.

Efforts should be made to effectively upgrade and appropriately expand the economy, and continuously increase the country's economic strength, scientific and technological capabilities, and composite national strength, he said.

In building a modern socialist country in all respects, a people-centered development philosophy must be implemented so that the gains of modernization will benefit all fairly and more notable and tangible progress will be made in promoting prosperity for all, Xi said.

He underscored the need to better coordinate development and security, saying that efforts must be made to strengthen China's capacity for safeguarding national security.

He called for efforts to comprehensively advance the modernization of national defense and armed forces, and build the people's armed forces into a "Great Wall of Steel" that is capable of effectively safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi also emphasized the importance of advancing national reunification and ensuring the long-term prosperity and stability of the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

He stressed the need to fully, faithfully and resolutely implement the principle of "one country, two systems", under which the people of Hong Kong administer Hong Kong and the people of Macao administer Macao, both with a high degree of autonomy.

On the Taiwan question, Xi emphasized adhering to the one-China principle and the 1992 Consensus, actively promoting the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, and resolutely opposing external interference and "Taiwan independence" separatist activities.

In terms of China's foreign policy, he said that China will be dedicated to peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit, stand firmly on the right side of history, practice true multilateralism, and uphold the shared values of humanity.

The nation will continue to advance high-standard opening-up, leverage global markets and resources for its own development, and enable its development to benefit the world, he said.

China will play an active part in the reform and development of the global governance system, contribute its share to building an open world economy, advance the implementation of the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative, and inject more stability and positive energy into the peaceful development of the world, he added.

In the speech, Xi also underlined the need for the Party to always have the courage to carry out self-reform, exercise full and rigorous self-governance and resolutely fight corruption.