Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday called on the nation to remain confident in the coming year, saying the world's second-largest economy can overcome challenges and pressure through hard work.

Xi made the remarks in his New Year message for 2025 delivered through China Media Group and the internet.

Set to fully complete its 14th Five-Year Plan in 2025, China will implement more proactive and effective policies, prioritise high-quality development, promote greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology, and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development, Xi said.

He said the Chinese economy "now faces some new conditions, including challenges of uncertainties in the external environment and pressure of transformation from old growth drivers into new ones".

"But we can prevail with our hard work. As always, we grow in the wind and rain, and we get stronger through hard times. We must be confident," Xi said.

The Chinese president also vowed to continue the country's reform drive, mentioning a Party plenum held in July that adopted a massive reform master plan. The document outlined key reform tasks for the next five years and proposed over 300 major reform initiatives.

"We will march forward in great strides to advance reform and opening up as the trend of our times. We will surely embrace even broader prospects in pursuing Chinese modernisation in the course of reform and opening up," he said.

UPWARD TRAJECTORY

Reviewing China's footprint in 2024, Xi said the economy has rebounded and is on an upward trajectory, with the national GDP expected to pass the mark of 130 trillion yuan (about 18.08 trillion U.S. dollars) and the country's grain output surpassing 700 million tonnes.

He noted that China has fostered new quality productive forces, and new business sectors, forms and models have kept emerging. For the first time, China has produced more than 10 million new energy vehicles in a year, and breakthroughs have been made in fields including integrated circuit, artificial intelligence and quantum communications.

Xi also highlighted government measures introduced to improve people's livelihoods, including raising the basic pension, lowering mortgage rates, and expanding a scheme for cross-province direct settlement of medical bills that has made it easier for people to seek medical treatment across the country.

For the coming year, Xi said: "We should work together to steadily improve social undertakings and governance, build a harmonious and inclusive atmosphere, and settle real issues, big or small, for our people. We must bring more smiles to our people and greater warmth to their hearts."

Xi also said that no one can ever stop China's reunification, a trend of the times. "We Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same family. No one can ever sever the bond of kinship between us," he said.

China will unswervingly implement the policy of "one country, two systems" to maintain long-term prosperity and stability in Hong Kong and Macao, he said.

MAINTAINING WORLD PEACE, STABILITY

In a world of both transformation and turbulence, China, as a responsible major country, is actively promoting global governance reform and deepening solidarity and cooperation among the Global South, Xi said.

Highlighting China's advances in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation and success in hosting the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, as well as its participation in bilateral and multilateral forums, Xi said the country has "contributed greatly to the maintenance of world peace and stability."

"China will work with all countries to promote friendship and cooperation, enhance mutual learning among different cultures, and build a community with a shared future for mankind. We must jointly create a better future for the world," he said.

Xinhua