Xi Jinping on December 31.
Photographer: Yao Dawei / Xinhua / Getty Images
Photographer: Yao Dawei / Xinhua / Getty Images
President Xi Jinping issued an exceptionally optimistic assessment of China’s future, noting that “time and the situation” were on the country’s side in a new year marked by internal turmoil in the United States.
The Chinese leader said at a meeting of provincial and ministerial-level officials on Monday that he saw “opportunities in general overcoming challenges”, a marked change from his sometimes dire warnings in recent months. While he echoed a frequently used allusion to the challenges posed by President Donald Trump’s policies for “America First”, he expressed new confidence that China would win in the long run.
“The world is undergoing profound changes never seen in a century, but the time and the situation are in our favor,” said Xi in the study session at the School of the Communist Party, according to the official Xinhua news agency. “This is where our determination and confidence come from.”
Xi’s optimistic comments come amid an economic recovery at home and a historic turmoil in Washington. In addition to the chaos on Capitol Hill last week and the worsening of the coronavirus outbreak in America, a forecast released by the Center for Economics and Business Research last month projected that China would overtake the US as the world’s largest dollar economy in 2028, five years earlier than a year ago.
In similar comments in 2020, Xi emphasized “unprecedented risks and challenges” when the coronavirus hit China and bilateral relations with the United States fell to historic lows, with disputes on everything from the pandemic and trade to Taiwan and Hong Kong.
On Monday, Xi asked provincial authorities, who are preparing to approve a new round of five-year plans at their annual legislative sessions, to remain “humble and cautious,” according to Xinhua. He said that efforts are needed to improve awareness of potential hazards, consider the worst-case scenarios and learn to deal with more complex and difficult situations.
The legislative sessions are part of a long series of events as Xi prepares to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling party in July. Xi also reiterated his call for the country to be more self-sufficient in technological innovation while building an “oversized domestic market” to boost consumption.
– With the help of Lucille Liu and Jing Li