President Xi's New Year speech boosts Chinese morale

BEIJING - After listening to the New Year speech delivered by President Xi Jinping Sunday, Wang Min felt it was "down-to-earth, hearty and encouraging."

The word for "the people" appeared most in the speech, demonstrating the happiness of the people is what Xi cares about, said Wang, chairman of Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd., a leading domestic manufacturer in east China's Jiangsu Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, delivered a New Year speech Sunday, extending New Year greetings to all Chinese, and best wishes to friends all over the world.

In the speech, he said China's great achievement in development was made by the people and for the people, and that among the people's most pressing concerns were education, employment, income, social security, health care, elder care, housing and environmental protection.

"The data showing economic achievements are really encouraging," said Wang. "As 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening up, our company will carry on the spirit of reform and innovation to build a world-class enterprise."

Xi's New Year speech has boosted the morale of the Chinese people to work harder to serve the country and earn a better life.

"I feel proud of the great achievements China has made," said Jiang Shengxia, Communist Party chief of Panlong village in east China's Anhui Province.

Last year, 127 residents shook off poverty in the village, said Jiang."In 2018, we will further develop rural tourism and ecological agriculture to make more residents lead a prosperous life."

Xi reiterated that by 2020, all rural residents living below the current poverty line should be lifted out of poverty. It will be the first time in China's thousands of years of history for extreme poverty to be eliminated.

"Only three years are left. It is urgent. I think industry plays a key role in poverty reduction as stable income ensures poverty elimination in the long run," said Pan Kegang, Party head of Huamao village, in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

On Sunday evening, Pan organized a meeting of villagers to discuss plans to revitalize the village through tourism and unique agriculture this year.

Xi's speech won high praise from workers, too.

"As a frontline worker, we should make solid efforts and do our work better to contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative," said Zhan Xiaowei, who works at Tieshan Port in Beihai City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

As an important part of an economic zone, Tieshan Port has seen a big boost in annual cargo handling capacity in recent years. Zhan, who began working at the port in 2009, has witnessed the rapid growth in its throughput.

Zhan's work involves handling the cargo of seven to eight vessels each day, double the number of vessels prior to 2017. Beihai City has opened routes to more than 200 ports in 80 countries and regions.

In the New Year address, Xi cited a number of key innovation breakthroughs such as the Chinese-produced large passenger jet C919 and major projects such as the 55-kilometer-long bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macao.

On Sunday, major work on the world's longest sea bridge was completed as scheduled after its lighting system was installed and tested.

"The bridge will serve as a boost to the rise of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," said Gao Xinglin, assistant director of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Authority.