The speech – recorded inside Xi’s office in Beijing’s Zhongnanhai, the political centre of China – gives viewers a rare glimpse inside the presidential office.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges reform in future-focused New Year’s address
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledges reform in future-focused New Year’s address
As in previous years, Xi delivered his speech from behind a desk, with the national flag and an image of the Great Wall of China behind him, as well as bookshelves that displayed framed photographs. The photos are selected to spotlight key events and highlight progress or achievements made during the previous year.
The two-day event – the first Belt and Road Forum to be held after the pandemic – attracted representatives from 130 countries and 30 global organisations to Beijing.
In his address to the forum, Xi said China wanted to strengthen infrastructure cooperation and interconnectedness by promoting more high-level development with other countries.
Xi Jinping’s year in photographs revealed in New Year broadcast
Xi Jinping’s year in photographs revealed in New Year broadcast
“While pursuing its development, China has also embraced the world and fulfilled its responsibility as a major country,” Xi said in his speech carried by state broadcast media on Sunday night.
Another photo captured a key moment as Xi began his unprecedented third presidential term in March.
After receiving an endorsement from the National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, Xi held up his right fist for a constitutional oath and placed his left hand on a red leather copy of China’s constitution.
During the oath, Xi said he would work hard to build a “prosperous, democratic, civilised, and harmonious socialist country”.
At the party congress in October 2022, Xi was reconfirmed as ead of the Communist Party and the military. The reappointment as head of state in March last year made him the country’s most powerful leader in decades.
Several family portraits were also seen for the first time, including a photo of his father Xi Zhongxun, who was a Politburo member and vice-premier, an older photo of Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, as well as a photo of Xi with his wife with his parents. A group photo showing Xi, his wife and his daughter at a very young age, was also added to the collection.
Xi has delivered a New Year’s address every year since 2013. The photographs seen in the videos are carefully selected to project an image of a man who is capable of steering the country, as well as a leader who interacts directly with the people.
Compared with the photos that appeared during last year’s New Year’s speech, some of this year’s pictures appeared to focus on economic and development themes, as the country faces a sluggish post-pandemic recovery and worsening trade relations with the West.
A photo of Xi’s September trip to Yiwu in eastern Zhejiang province showed him waving to people as he touted the city’s achievements in becoming the world’s largest export centre for small manufactured goods.
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Other images highlighted trips to Guangdong and Guangxi provinces to learn about local rural agriculture development, and visits to flood-stricken areas in Beijing and Hebei.
