China's president sees his country's economy strengthened despite crises
Xi has had a challenging year at the helm of the world's second largest economy. His government struggled to get the economy to recover after the previous strict zero-covid policy with hard lockdowns. High youth unemployment and the crisis in the real estate sector weighed on the country. According to official figures released on Sunday, industrial production in China also fell for the third month in a row in December.
According to experts, it may be difficult for China to achieve its self-imposed target of five percent annual growth.
In terms of foreign policy, Xi has been taking a tough stance on Taiwan for some time now. Beijing regards Taiwan as a renegade province that should be reunited with the mainland, using military force if necessary. A new president will be elected in the democratically governed island state in two weeks' time. Pro-independence candidate Lai Ching-te from the DPP party is leading in the polls.
According to state news agency Xinhua, Xi said on Sunday that China would "surely be reunified". All Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait should work together for the good of the Chinese nation.
At the same time, Xi once again praised the good relations with Russia and its President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. As the broadcaster CCTV reported, he said that relations with Moscow had "become stronger".
"In the face of unprecedented changes in a century and a turbulent regional and international situation, Sino-Russian relations have maintained a healthy and stable development and steadily moved in the right direction," Xi said in his New Year's wishes to Putin. Under their "joint leadership", trust between the two sides had been strengthened, strategic coordination had become closer and cooperation had brought "new results".
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- To mitigate the impact of crises, China's president has been focusing on strengthening the country's economy.
- Despite the ongoing Crises in China's real estate sector and high youth unemployment, the country's industrial production saw a decline for the third consecutive month in December.
- The tough stance taken by Xi Jinping on Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province, has remained firm.
- Despite the looming Crisis of Taiwan's democratically-elected president, Xi Jinping emphasized on Sunday that China would be reunified.
- In an effort to strengthen relations, Xi Jinping praised the good relations with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, on Sunday, stating that their alliance had become stronger.
- Despite the turbulent regional and international situation, Xi Jinping expressed in his New Year's wishes to Putin that Sino-Russian relations have maintained a stable development and seen new results under their joint leadership.
- The CCTV, a state news agency, reported on Sunday that Xi Jinping had praised the close strategic coordination between China and Russia and the strengthened trust between the two nations.
Source: www.stern.de
