Profile: With popular mandate, Xi Jinping spearheads new drive to modernize China

There are visible signs that the economic recovery is gaining momentum. In February, China's manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) reached 52.6 percent, a new high in nearly 11 years. The economy is expected to stabilize and rebound in the first quarter, and foreign investment expectations remain positive.

The Canton Fair plans to increase its exhibition booths to nearly 70,000 this year. The China International Import Expo, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, and the China International Consumer Products Expo, all of which are strongly backed by Xi, are expected to see an expansion in their scales.

From building a socialist new countryside to building a beautiful China, from artistic creation to cultural-ethical advancement, Xi has made new arrangements covering all important areas.

Xi emphasized that achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation requires the complete reunification of the motherland, which is both necessary and achievable, and he has formulated a general strategy to resolve the Taiwan question.

In his speech delivered before the conclusion of this year's "two sessions," Xi said external interference and separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence" must be resolutely opposed, stressing firmly advancing the national reunification process.

"Xi is an idealist and a pragmatic person. He is sober, practical, decisive, has a broad vision and a systemic view," said a cadre who had worked with him in Zhejiang Province in the early 2000s. "He is good at turning crises into opportunities, and can see a blueprint through to the end."

PEOPLE'S LEADER

Xi is not just for the people but of them.

When he labored alongside rural farmers, he learned to grit his teeth while hauling manure and ignored the constant hunger pangs as he worked the land. These formative years taught him the true value of these often overlooked members of society, leaving him with a natural ability to connect and listen to ordinary people to help resolve their problems.

He may have left the fields decades ago, but even as general secretary, he has not forgotten those that toil there nor those that man the country's backbone industries, from workshops to markets. He has remained committed to maintaining a public-facing presence through personal visits or correspondence.