Xinhua pictures of the year 2023: Leading China

This 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, extending festive greetings to all Chinese people when he holds virtual talks with the general public from across the country ahead of the Spring Festival in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi, Li Tao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech at a Spring Festival reception at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 20, 2023. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council held the reception on Jan. 20, 2023 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Xi Jinping makes a public pledge of allegiance to the Constitution at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2023. Xi was unanimously elected president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and chairman of the Central Military Commission of the PRC at the third plenary meeting of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress on March 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Xi Jinping waves to deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 13, 2023. Xi and other leaders of the Communist Party of China and the state met with all deputies present at the first session of the 14th NPC and had a photo taken together after the closing meeting of the session on March 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a solemn welcome ceremony for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the St. George's Hall at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, March 21, 2023. Xi held talks with Putin in Moscow on March 21, 2023. (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 young students during a voluntary tree planting activity in Beijing, capital of China, April 4, 2023. Xi and other leaders, including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, and Han Zheng, planted trees with local people at a city park in the eastern district of Chaoyang in the spring shower. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron listen to a Guqin melody at Baiyun Hall of the Pine Garden in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, April 7, 2023. Xi held an informal meeting with Macron on April 7, 2023 in Guangzhou. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a lychee orchard at a village in Genzi Township, Gaozhou City of Maoming, south China's Guangdong Province, April 11, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Guangdong from April 10 to 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his wife Madame Rosangela Lula da Silva before the talks between Xi and Lula in Beijing, capital of China, April 14, 2023. Xi held talks with Lula, who was on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 14, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, learns about the cultivation of crops that are tolerant of drought and high alkalinity at a wheat field in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, May 11, 2023. Xi inspected Hebei Province and presided over a meeting on promoting the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from May 11 to 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with guests in front of Ziyun Tower in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, May 18, 2023. Xi and Peng hosted a welcome ceremony and a welcome banquet in the evening on May 18, 2023 for Central Asian leaders and their wives attending the China-Central Asia Summit. After the banquet, Xi, Peng and the guests watched an art performance, which marks the opening of the year of culture and art of the peoples of China and Central Asia as well as the China-Central Asia youth arts festival. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with students on the basketball court of Beijing Yuying School in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2023. Xi visited Beijing Yuying School and extended festival greetings to children across the country ahead of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for President of the Republic of Honduras Iris Xiomara Castro Sarmiento at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, June 12, 2023. Xi held talks with Castro, who was on a state visit to China, in Beijing on June 12, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the 31st summer edition of the FISU World University Games in Chengdu, capital city of southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 28, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the new building of the Sanxingdui Museum in Deyang, southwest China's Sichuan Province, July 26, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Sichuan from July 25 to 27, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends a welcoming ceremony held by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa prior to their talks in Pretoria, South Africa, Aug. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the Beijicun, or "North Pole Village," a riverside border village, in Mohe, northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, Sept. 6, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Heilongjiang from Sept. 6 to 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, pose for a group photo with guests during a welcoming banquet in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 23, 2023. Xi and Peng hosted the banquet to welcome guests who gathered in the scenic city of Hangzhou to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping waves during the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 23, 2023. (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, inspects Lizu Village in Jinhua, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 20, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Zhejiang from Sept. 20 to 21, 2023. (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, learns about the development of pomegranate industry at a pomegranate orchard in Yicheng District of Zaozhuang City, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 24, 2023. On his way back to Beijing after an inspection tour in east China's Zhejiang Province, Xi inspected Zaozhuang on Sept. 24, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and distinguished guests arrive to attend the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2023. Xi attended the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation and delivered a keynote speech. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits a grocery store in an urban residential community in the city of Zhuozhou, north China's Hebei Province, Nov. 10, 2023. Xi visited the areas affected by floods in the summer of 2023 in Beijing and Hebei Province on Nov. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden take a walk after their talks in the Filoli Estate in the U.S. state of California, Nov. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

U.S. President Joe Biden shows Chinese President Xi Jinping his phone, on which is a photo Xi took in 1985 in San Francisco when he was a county leader of Zhengding in China's northern province of Hebei and made his maiden trip to the United States, at the entrance of a banquet hall of Filoli Estate, a country house south of San Francisco, California, the United States, Nov. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Xueren)

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech titled "Working Toward a Ceasefire and Realizing Lasting Peace and Sustainable Security" at the BRICS extraordinary virtual summit on the Palestinian-Israeli issue on Nov. 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 13, 2023. Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan along with Nguyen Phu Trong and his wife met with representatives of young Chinese and Vietnamese and people who have contributed to the China-Vietnam friendship on Dec. 13, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, communicates with residents while inspecting the Panlong community in Liangqing District, Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dec. 14, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Guangxi from Dec. 14 to 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects a sugarcane base in Laibin, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Dec. 14, 2023. Xi made an inspection tour in Guangxi from Dec. 14 to 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)